Prelude
by What a Rubber Chicken
Summary: A late-night visit leads to discoveries, which leads to awkwardness. And more awkwardness. But where to go from here? Because there's no way for this to work out for everyone. Is there? Marichat. A cat's point of view. Rated for them being teenagers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.  
**

 **This is NOT the continuation of Issues. **This is another story I wrote for a friend whose birthday is coming up. I hadn't meant to post it here at all, but Harvey is messing up my life in a lot of ways (thousands of dollars and possibly my house), so I wanted to post something to lift my spirits. Issues is still being worked on, I promise you. But this was already written, it's ten chapters, and my friend's birthday is in ten days. So, it's perfect.

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 1**

Cat Noir landed softly on the balcony, noting that the room below him was dark. It was late, he shouldn't be here—but he had to make sure she was ok! She was his classmate, and one of his first friends! Biting his lip, he opened the hatch quietly. If she was sleeping, he didn't want to disturb—

A tiny gasp startled him and he quickly dropped down onto her bed, mindful of where his feet fell.

"Shh, shh, it's just me," he whispered reassuringly.

"Cat Noir?" Marinette mumbled sleepily. She started to get up, and he could see her wince.

"Don't move," he ordered quietly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself. I just came to see if you were okay."

Even now, he winced as he remembered the hit she had taken from the akuma earlier. The crack. The way she had rolled down the street to come to a terrifyingly-still stop…. He knew they had taken her to the hospital, and that she had only been released a few hours ago because the hospitals were filling up with other injured people from this akuma's attacks, but the sight of the bandages, the bulk of them visible underneath her nightshirt, wrapped around her ribs, still made him feel sick. _Dammit, this was what he was supposed to prevent!_

"I'm… well, I've been better," she admitted ruefully, gingerly touching her side. He frowned as he realized she was still trying to sit up to talk to him.

"I told you not to move," he chided, gently lifting her up to lay her back down.

"But I—"

"Here, I'll lay down beside you," he said, doing so. He saw her blush in the moonlight, and was sure his own face matched it, but at least now they could talk face-to-face without her straining herself. Besides, it really wasn't so bad, laying here with her. She was warm, and smelled sweet… and if his arm was casually draped across her waist, just below the bandages, well, he _really_ didn't want her to try and get up again. (Admittedly, this had gotten a bit more intimate than he had originally intended when he came here, but at least he wasn't groping her like a pervert, right?)

"Did you get the akuma?" she asked, looking up at him shyly.

He shook his head. "It went into hiding, and Ladybug's still MIA," he admitted. Marinette winced and he felt a wave of annoyance at his partner again. Where was she? Ladybug hadn't shown up to the fight at all. He had tried calling, posting on the Ladyblog, addressing her directly on the news… nothing. She had disappeared completely. It was almost as if—no, he wasn't going to finish that thought. Just because a lot of people had been caught up in the latest monster's attacks didn't mean… surely she wasn't…. Besides, he'd already gone to the hospitals briefly to look for her, despite the withering looks and snide comments on how he might have better things to do, like stop the damn monster….

Marinette took a shuddering breath and he was startled to see tears seeping out of both her eyes.

"Marinette?" he yelped. "Are you hurt? Did I-?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she sobbed. "I'm just… sorry. I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to!"

"Hey, it's not your fault!" Cat Noir said reassuringly, pulling her closer as best he could around the bandages and giving her a gentle hug. More like resting his chin on her shoulder, honestly. He _really_ didn't want to hurt her. To his surprise, she wound her arms around his neck and returned it, pressing her cheek against his. He felt himself automatically relax. God, he had forgotten how wonderful hugs could be. The awkward ones with his father couldn't compare. Not even to this. He was barely touching her, but it was still warm, and tight, and _safe_. He felt like purring.

"I was so stupid," Marinette muttered lowly. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear that, but he did have ultra-cool superhuman senses. "I should've—I should never have—"

"I don't think anyone's going to blame you for not knowing you couldn't go to the Trocadero today," he chuckled, pulling back to look at her.

"And for not running away with the other screaming civilians?" she asked, looking up at him guiltily. He pursed his lips as he remembered how she'd herded a bunch of tourists (including small children!) out of danger and had been running towards a flipped car when—

"Yeah, I am kinda peeved at you for that," he admitted, brushing her hair back. "Why don't you leave the superhero work for the superheroes next time, princess?"

"Well, we can't all have cat ears," she said, smiling and touching one of his.

"Are you kidding? You would look _amazing_ in cat ears," he said, smirking at her. She giggled, then winced, touching her ribs. He grimaced. _She was injured and he was making her laugh? How stupid was he?_ "Sorry, no more jokes."

"It's all right. At least it wasn't one of your purr-fectly claw-ful puns," she teased. His face brightened like Christmas come early.

"Oh, princess, I just fell in love with you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He felt the blood drain from his face and watched her go pale as well. They broke apart, struggling to sit up, finally realizing just how close they had gotten, tangled in each other.

Then they both started stammering.

"That's not—I mean…"

"I just, well, I don't—"

"I LIKE SOMEONE ELSE!" they both exclaimed at the same time. They blinked at each other and laughed nervously. Marinette winced again.

"You shouldn't be up," Cat insisted, wanting to lay her back down, but not willing to breach the distance they had put between themselves just yet.

"It's okay, Cat Noir," she said, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I think I needed to get up anyway. I'm not supposed to stay in one position too long."

"Right," he muttered. He should go. He shouldn't be here at all, honestly. There were plenty of people who had gotten injured in the attack. He had singled her out because he knew her from class. She was a friend. And he already knew where she lived as Cat Noir, so it wouldn't be weird, right? But if she started thinking—

"So… you… _like_ someone?" she asked nervously. Despite himself, Cat Noir couldn't help grinning.

"Yep! The only Lady in this Cat's heart," he said, bowing. Awkwardly, since he was still crouched on the edge of her bed.

"Ladybug. Of course," she murmured, looking uncomfortable.

 _Oh no_. Cat winced. Now he felt very guilty. Marinette had fallen for him! And then he had gone and paid her extra attention—the one thing his father always told him to never _ever_ do for a fangirl, cause they got crazy notions—so, now…

"What about you?" he asked, grasping the one thing that could salvage this situation. "You said you liked someone else too, right? You already know _my_ crush's name. What's yours?" Maybe he could help her snag this guy! Then Happily Ever Afters for everyone, right?

She smiled and shook her head. "Oh no, I don't think you would know who Adri—" She gasped and covered her mouth, looking at him, wide-eyed. He felt his stomach plummet and his mouth went dry.

Oh _, princess._

"Adrien?" he rasped. She squeaked and covered her face with a pillow. He stared at her in horror. No way. Unbelievable. She liked… _him_? Both in the mask _and_ out of it? He bit his lip and jumped down from her bed, needing to get a little more space between them. Great. Just great. Could this get any worse…? Looking away from her, his eyes landed on the walls and he felt his jaw drop.

There were pictures of him everywhere! Adrien Agreste was on every wall! Pages from magazines, candid shots, even a large poster from that stupid perfume ad that his father was so proud of. Despair flooded him. She had it _bad_. And there was nothing he could do for her. No hope he could offer. Adrien's heart had been stolen by a gorgeous red bug before he had ever even met Marinette.

"Cat Noir?" she called.

"You like Adrien Agreste," he muttered, unable to look her in the eye just yet. She laughed nervously, grimacing around the pain as she gingerly came down the ladder from her bed. He glanced at her. "And you shouldn't be up."

"I told you, the doctor said I need to move around every so often. And it can't be that much of a shock to know I have a crush on him, can it?" she asked, looking anxious.

"I just… I kinda know him? Not well, but we've kept in touch since I've saved him a few times," he said, trying hard not to outright lie to her. She paled. He flushed. "I should go." She caught his hand before he could flee.

"You _can't_ tell him," she pleaded. " _Please_ , Cat." His heart lurched at the desperation in her eyes. _Too late, princess_ , he thought. _I already don't know how I'm going to face you in class tomorrow_.

"You think he's not going to notice all… this?" he asked instead, gesturing to her walls. He looked closer. "How did you even _get_ some of these?" he asked. He knew for a fact that some of these shots were very rare. And some… he nearly smacked himself for his stupidity. He'd wondered at the time why Alya had been giggling so much when he'd agreed to pose for her to "improve her camera skills." Now he knew. She was _really_ helping her best friend. He felt slightly used.

"I got some of those before I met him," Marinette admitted, sitting slowly in a chair. "I'm a big fan of his father's fashion line. I didn't even _like_ him when we first met; I thought he was just another rich-kid bully. Then I got to know him and…," she gestured helplessly to the walls. She sighed. "But it's just a silly crush. Not like it's going to go anywhere."

He closed his eyes. If not for Ladybug, he might consider her. Marinette was sweet and smart, with a fun sense of humor. And he knew they liked some of the same things. It would've been a good match. But he already belonged to someone else. And he loved _her_ with all his heart.

"Isn't there anyone else you like?" he asked, a little desperate to help Marinette get over him. "What about that kid who asked you out when he got akumatized?" he asked, pretending not to know their classmate's name. "The… Evillustrator?"

"Nathaniel?" she supplied. He nodded eagerly. Surely, if Nathaniel had liked her even after being turned evil, there had to be something there, right? To his surprise, she gave a short self-deprecating laugh. "He decided he was in love with Ladybug after she saved him. You should see some of the comics he's drawn. They're… uh, detailed." Cat Noir grimaced. No, he definitely did not want to see those. He might sock someone.

Marinette shrugged, huffing a bit. "I guess I just can't compete with a superhero."

Cat Noir opened his mouth to contradict her, but then closed it again. Wasn't that _his_ whole problem? He couldn't go out with her because he had a crush on Ladybug too. Well, it wasn't because she was a superhero, of course. Right? Sure, he told himself he'd love his Bugaboo even without her powers, but the truth was, he'd never even _seen_ her without her powers.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Marinette said, sounding guilty. Cat Noir looked over at her as she stood, wringing her hands. "Here I am, ragging on Ladybug and you must be so worried about her."

"It's all right," he assured her. "I can understand some of what you're feeling. And don't worry, I'm sure Ladybug is fine and we'll be back in action before you know it." He pumped his fist eagerly.

She smiled at him weakly. "Yeah, I'm sure she will be."

"Then we'll defeat this akuma and everything will be back to normal," he added, trying to get some more enthusiasm.

"I'm sure you will," she said. But her smile still didn't quite reach her eyes. He didn't like it.

Cat Noir stepped closer and held out his hand. "Hey, you believe in me, don't you, princess?" he asked. She blinked up at him for moment. Then, to his surprise, Marinette ignored his hand and stepped close to him to give him a soft, quick hug instead.

"Always," she whispered.

He felt his heart warm a bit and hugged her back. Lighter than he wanted to, because the absolute last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. And he was already going to have to hurt her… inside. He needed to leave. _Now_. He waved goodbye before taking back off through her hatch.

* * *

"Plagg, tell me I'm an idiot," Adrien said, collapsing on his bed after pacing for the umpteenth time. It was very nearly morning, but he still couldn't sleep.

"You're an idiot," Plagg said helpfully, chewing on a piece of cheese.

Adrien sighed. He didn't feel better. No, he felt awful. Poor Marinette. Caught between the two halves of him and she never had a chance with either of them. It'd be different if she was just some random girl (God knew he had a lot of fans that he'd never even given the time of day), but he _knew_ her. He'd spent time with her. He knew she was a great person, who deserved to be in awesome relationship with someone who could give her his whole heart. Hugs and kisses every day. Good morning texts. I love yous each night. Someone who would hold her hand, and take her to all the romantic spots in the city, and dance with her until they collapsed from laughter, and shower her with gifts until she begged him to stop. And she would, he knew. She'd blush and tell him she didn't need those things to prove he loved her. And he'd laugh and do it anyway, just because he could— _NO! Not HIM_! Adrien nearly screamed at himself as he realized he was describing his own fantasy. Everything he'd ever wanted… but with Ladybug.

"I'm so screwed," he groaned, burying his face in his pillow.

"You're so screwed," Plagg agreed.

The worst part was, now he knew he could have her. He could have all that. She'd go out with him if he asked. She'd be ecstatic. She'd give him everything he wanted. Anything he asked for. She'd love him. Pay attention to him. They'd laugh and dance and play and kiss and… And—he glanced at the poster of Ladybug he kept in his room.

And she'd eventually realize it was all fake. That he didn't love her back— _couldn't_ love her back. She wasn't stupid.

And he wasn't that much of an asshole.

"Plagg," he moaned.

"~You're stupid and an ass, and I'm having such a laugh,~" his kwami sang, flying in circles over his head.

"That doesn't even rhyme," Adrien muttered.

His alert on the Ladyblog went off and he sat up quickly. The akuma had resurfaced.

"Thank God, I need to hit something. Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

End Chapter 1.

As always, reviews are loved. This will be updated daily, if my internet holds out.


	2. Chapter 2

****Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.****

Whoops, I forgot to warn y'all further: I have a headcanon that Adrien is only a complete cinnamon roll because of his upbringing. Having been raised in a strict environment myself, I know what it's like to speak and act properly, while inside you're swearing up a storm. So, if you see Adrien swearing at himself inside and think he's OOC, that's why. Also, it's why I rated this thing for language. The kid's still a teenager, however innocent and oblivious he may be. However, he's still not allowed to _talk_ like that, as per his character, so if you see him swear while talking at somebody in this, point it out to me, and I will fix it and owe you a one-shot of your choice.

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 2**

The sun was just coming up and Cat Noir had barely gotten to where the akuma had been sighted before he heard a very-welcome voice.

" _Lucky Charm_!"

Grinning, he raced to Ladybug's side (where he belonged!) and greeted her as she tried to figure out her Random Object of the Day. Once again, he was glad she had that particular power instead of him. If he had to try to figure out how to save the day with—was that small coil of rope?—no doubt, Paris would soon be in ruins.

"I don't think that's going to hold him, milady," he remarked, looking at the giant monster made of pavement the akumatized victim had become (apparently, a construction worker had thought he wasn't getting paid enough or something). That rope wouldn't even go around him once. Much less his multiple arms and legs, all of them rock hard and perfectly capable of swatting harmless civilians like flies… his eyes narrowed in anger. No matter what his lady had planned, he wanted to get at least one good shot in there for Marinette.

"Cat Noir, can you distract him and make sure he can't get up?" she asked, looking at a nearby shop with speculation.

"My pleasure," he said, smirking in anticipation. He ran at the monster, extending his baton for a quick headshot. It connected, and the akuma roared in displeasure and swatted at the offending pole. Having learned his lesson from yesterday, he let it go easily, noting where it fell and dodging in a different direction as two more arms swung at him. For a few moments, he kicked and punched it, focusing on dodging all the swinging limbs. He was never really hurting the thing, just distracting it enough that it didn't think of leaving.

He caught sight of Ladybug running at them with a determined look on her face and her arms full of some sort of fabric (what the-?), and he immediately lunged for his baton; swooping down on it, grabbing it, turning it, and extending it into the ground, all in one fluid motion. He used the momentum from that move to slingshot himself back towards the akuma, sliding underneath the thing with his hand dragging on the ground and a shouted, " _Cataclysm_!"

The street beneath the monster crumbled away instantly, leaving the very-surprised akuma to fall into the hole, stunned. Ladybug made quick work of the remaining flailing limbs, tying them all up in her makeshift giant straight-jacket and quickly retrieving the hard hat still on his head before he could realize what had happened. She smashed the hard hat as hard as her superpowers would let her (which Cat Noir knew from personal experience was quite a bit) and the little black butterfly fluttered out. She caught it deftly and released its purified form with her usual cheery goodbye.

Only then did Cat Noir realize that she was breathing heavily, and looked a bit pale. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he had a feeling she'd just wave him off with a little "It's nothing, Cat Noir," and refuse to talk about it. So instead, he jumped down into the hole with the akuma victim and grabbed both him and the rope that was her Lucky Charm.

Leaping back out, he set the man down and handed Ladybug the rope without a word, pretending not to notice the grateful look on her face when she realized she wouldn't have to go get it herself.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she shouted, throwing it into the air. The magical swarm of ladybugs swarmed around them, fixing the street and everyone in it.

He heard Ladybug's sigh of relief. "Whew, much better!" she said, patting her chest. He looked away. So, she _had_ been injured in the earlier attacks. That explained things.

"Thanks for the assist, Cat Noir," she said easily, walking towards him and holding out her fist for their usual bump. He grinned weakly and gave it to her. She cocked her head to the side at his lackluster response. "Is something wrong?"

"You just… worried me earlier," he said carefully. He wanted to fling his arms around her and pull her close, but right now, he felt dirty. Unworthy. He was a horrible, horrible person for what he was doing to Marinette. He didn't even mean to, but he was hurting a friend. One of the few he had.

 _It's not my fault,_ he repeated to himself for what had to be the thousandth time. _It's not my fault_. But he still felt guilty.

"I got caught up in one of the earlier attacks and had to go to the hospital," Ladybug admitted, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I figured that was it," he said. He glanced at her. "You're all better now?"

"Yup!" she said cheerfully, thumping her chest to prove it. "All Cured."

"Good," he crouched down, ready to spring up onto the nearest roof.

"Cat Noir? Are you okay?" Ladybug asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine, milady, just gotta check something," he said, he sprang away before she could call him back.

 _Great_ , he thought as he raced along the rooftops, _now I'm pushing_ _ **Ladybug**_ _away in favor of_ _ **Marinette**_ _._ Now he knew he was an idiot. Or a masochist. Or determined to remain forever alone.

His destination wasn't far, which was good, because he'd have to be quick. He'd already lost one pad on his ring so far. Thankfully, the akuma had been close to her home. The scents of the bakery in full swing filled his senses as he dropped down onto the balcony. Mmm, maybe he could grab a quick breakfast? But first….

He opened the hatch and glanced into her room. Not here. Wait, why wasn't she here? It was barely sunrise!

"Marinette?" he called, jumping down into her room. He looked around frantically. Where was she? Where could she possibly be at this hour? Up until a few minutes ago, she should've still been badly hurt! "Marinette!" Had something happened to her? Had she—

"I'm here!" her voice called from downstairs, he whipped around to see her coming up the stairs, breathless. Had she been running? "Sorry," she gasped. "I was, uh… helping my parents in the bakery, since I was feeling better, you know?"

"Thank God," he breathed, wrapping her in a tight hug before he could stop himself.

"What's the matter, Cat Noir?" she asked, hugging him back. "You know the Miraculous Cure fixes everything."

"I just had to be sure," he said. _I'm already going to break your heart_ , he thought to himself. _I couldn't live with myself if anything else happened to you on my watch_. She blinked up at him with her wide, blue, innocent eyes. She looked so beautiful…. Suddenly, he caught himself leaning towards her, eyes already half-closed… he leapt away from her as if he'd been stung.

 _Shit! No! No! No! Bad Cat! What was he doing?! Had he been about to—?_

Judging from the blush on Marinette's face, she knew what he'd been about to do too.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't—I, um—I don't—," he stammered, grabbing his hair. "Ladybug!" he cried desperately. "I love Ladybug! I didn't just do that!"

"Cat, stop!" Marinette pleaded. "Please, just listen!" No, he _couldn't_ listen to her declaring that she loved him! He couldn't take it right now!

"I can't love you!" he cried, grabbing her shoulders to make her understand. "I don't. I love Ladybug!"

"And what if Ladybug loves someone else?" Marinette snapped. He froze, then stepped back. His sweet little classmate looked furious. Oh shit, he'd made her _mad_. And what had she said? What if Ladybug—?

"Wh-Why… would you say something like that, princess?" he asked hesitantly, backing away. She must've been so tired of being shown up by Ladybug. All the guys she liked… liked the superheroine better.

She strode up to him, still angry. "Have you ever actually talked to her about it?" she asked, defiantly, glaring up at him. "Ladybug has her own life, away from being a superhero. Maybe she already likes someone and _you_ just don't know about it. You don't own her, Cat Noir. Did you ever think of that?"

Cat felt his hand clench. Damn, Marinette could play _dirty_ when she wanted to. He'd have never thought she had it in her…. But two could play at that game.

"And what about Adrien?" he shot back, wincing inside. Dammit, this was a low blow, even for him. But his hackles were up, and all he could do was attack her back. "Do _you_ know if _he_ loves somebody else?"

He saw her face go pale. "Well, no…," she said slowly.

"Because he does!" he added, putting the icing on the cake. "He told me so! He's been in love with somebody since before he ever _met_ you! YOU NEVER EVEN HAD A CHANCE!"

He thought she'd been pale before. Now she was white. He gulped as he realized her lip was trembling.

 _Oh, how he wished he could take that back_!

"Princess…," he reached out his hand to her. Just then, his ring beeped, almost out. He stared at it disbelief. _Of all the miserable luck_! He looked up to see her turned away from him, tears already falling. _Nooooo, he was the worst of the worst!_

"Just go," she whispered.

And he had to. If he stayed here any longer, his transformation would drop. And then… then she'd _really_ be devastated. He stepped away.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning and leaping out onto her balcony. He pretended not to hear her sob as he leapt away, intent on getting as much distance between them as he could.

Plagg gave out on him before he reached home, but for once, Adrien didn't mind. He needed to walk, and clear his head.

He was disgusting. Filth. The lowest of the low. He didn't deserve Marinette's affection, much less Ladybug's. His friend had mistakenly trusted him with a secret, and he'd gone and _made her cry_. He could've broken it to her easily, but noooo… he had to go and yell it in her face!

And all because she'd pointed out something he hadn't even thought of with Ladybug. Something he didn't want to consider. Ladybug might have someone else. But she was supposed to be _his_ partner! _His_ other half! The only reason she didn't want them to know about each other's secret identities was because their enemy could literally read people's minds. It was safer this way. That was it, right?

 _Not right, you stupid cat,_ he scolded himself. _Of course, she's already got a boyfriend._ Maybe she was even married. (They'd never discussed how old they really were, all joking about Ancient Egypt aside.) Someone as bright and amazing as Ladybug? Certainly taken. She always, always pushed his teasing and flirting away, never even giving him a chance to declare his true feelings for her. How had he never seen it?

 _Because he'd never wanted to see it_. Despair clutched him tightly as he finally reached home. Gritting his teeth, he hit his own doorbell a bit harder than he needed to.

"Who is it?" Natalie's voice snapped. He smirked a bit. She must not have had her morning coffee yet.

"It's me, Natalie. Open up."

"Adrien?!" the surprise in her voice was also easy to spot. He couldn't blame her. He hadn't exactly left through the front door to go battle the akuma. In her head, he should still be asleep in his bed. The gate swung open. He huffed as he went in. With his luck this morning, no doubt she had already called—

His father was waiting for him at the top of the stairs. "Why were you out this early in the morning, Adrien?" he demanded. Adrien sighed. Yup, this day just kept getting better and better.

"I had something to take care of," he said evasively, not looking at the man.

"You're not fooling anyone, young man," his father snapped. "I want to know what you were doing and who you were with! Now!"

 _I was out saving Paris, then I broke my classmate's heart, just to be a jerk_ , Adrien thought to himself.

"I was… with a friend from school," he finally admitted.

"What? Who?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, depressed and reluctant to give his father Marinette's name. If Natalie went checking up on him, Marinette literally wouldn't know what she was talking about. She hadn't been with _Adrien_ this morning. Not that it mattered anymore. "I don't think she ever wants to see me again."

" _She_? You were with a girl?" his father sounded alarmed. Adrien's gut twisted uncomfortably. Why did everyone get the wrong idea?

"It's not like that," he said quickly, before his father could start some safe-sex this-is-so-embarrassing talk. "She was hurt in the akuma attack yesterday, that's all."

"Yesterday?" his father repeated, still suspicious. "And you decided to go see her early today?"

 _Yeah, well, I'm a bad liar,_ Adrien argued in his head. _And you're pulling all my excuses apart one-by-one._

"I wanted to make sure Ladybug's Miraculous Cure worked on her too," he said out loud. That was believable, right? "And I was kinda hoping to catch sight of Ladybug or Cat Noir, since the attack was near her house."

There, let his father think he was some stupid fanboy. It'd be better than him thinking he was visiting Marinette for… less-than-pure reasons. _The image of Marinette's face popped into head, her eyes shining up at him as he leaned in, his arms already around her—_ Ruthlessly, he bit down on his own tongue, forcing himself to stop thinking about it. He was already blushing, though. And no doubt his father had noticed.

"And?" his father prompted. "What did you do with this _friend_?" Yup, he was still suspicious.

"Just talked," Adrien said. He closed his eyes. "We ended up yelling at each other. Like I said, I don't think she likes me anymore." There. At least he'd told some of the truth.

"I see. So you had a misunderstanding, then?" his father said, sounding… satisfied? Softer? Adrien had no clue.

"No, more like we finally told each other the truth," he muttered.

"Hmm," his father studied him. "Natalie, give us a moment."

"Of course, sir."

Then they were alone. To his surprise, Adrien looked up to see his father had descended the staircase to stand in front of him.

"I take it, when you left, she was still unhappy with you?"

 _She was sobbing_. "Yeah," Adrien said, looking away.

"Did you mean to hurt her?"

"What? No, of course not," Adrien exclaimed. What kind of person did his father think he was?

"If you did not mean to hurt her, but ended up doing so, then you have had a misunderstanding, Adrien," his father said patiently. "You owe her an apology, or at the very least, an explanation. And if you wish for her to remain in your life, a gift is often necessary as well." His father paused, pondering. Adrien gaped at the man. Was his father actually offering advice? Like, good advice? _Fatherly_ advice?

"I'll have Natalie arrange a bouquet of flowers for you to take to school. That should suffice." He looked down and scoffed at the look on his son's face as he turned away. "I hold no illusions of being good at relationships, Adrien. But you do have an image to maintain. Gaining a reputation as a cad this early in your career will do us no favors."

Adrien snapped his mouth shut. Ah, there it was. The father he knew so well. It was all about reputation. The business. Of course.

"That being said, I also have no intention of becoming a grandfather this early in life. I expect you to exercise caution," Gabriel Agreste added. "I'll have Natalie add a box of condoms to her shopping list." His son nearly choked.

"I just told you, she probably hates me!" Adrien sputtered, turning red. "We yelled at each other! She—"

His father gave a little laugh. "You'd be surprised how well an apology, paired with a thoughtful gift, can go over for a young woman," he said, smiling and getting that faraway look he had whenever he thought of Mom.

Adrien decided he _really_ didn't want to know and quickly fled to his room.

* * *

End Chapter 2.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 3**

"Nino, I am _so_ sorry," Adrien said, for probably the fifth time in as many minutes. Nino chuckled, still holding the ice pack to his eye.

"It's okay, bro, I know you didn't _mean_ to bean me in the head," he said. "There are easier ways to kill your best friend. But seriously, dude, what's up? You're not your normal self today."

Adrien groaned and raked his fingers down his face, sliding down a locker to sit on the ground and curl his arms around his knees. He'd been off all day, tripping and not paying attention; he'd even gotten an answer wrong in Physics when Mrs. Mendeleiev had started springing questions at them. Usually he aced them all.

But even P.E., one of his other favorite subjects, was a disaster scene with him. They were playing volleyball, which was usually super easy for him, but so far today he'd served the ball into the net more often than not, bumped it out of bounds, and the three times he'd tried to spike it, he'd ended up hitting someone, the last being Nino, right in the face, and hard enough to give his friend a bloody nose and a black eye. Mr. D'Argencourt had given him a look of disgust and sent him off with Nino to find an ice pack, hinting that he didn't want either of them to come back to class today. It was hard to blame the man. Adrien just hoped it didn't get back to his father. And it wasn't like he didn't know what was wrong.

He'd been a mess ever since he'd learned that Marinette was home sick today.

He let his head fall back against the locker he was leaning against. He'd _seen_ her this morning. She wasn't sick. She had a broken heart. And it was _completely_ his fault.

"Dude," Nino said, watching him. Adrien almost smirked. He must look like shit. He certainly felt like it.

"I seriously messed up, Nino," he confessed.

"I get the feeling you're not just talking about P.E.," Nino said with a wry smile. Adrien didn't answer. He didn't need to. Nino sat down in front of him. "You wanna talk about it?"

Adrien chewed on his lip. _Where to begin? Aw, hell, let's just dive right in! It's not like things could get any worse, right?_

"I found out Marinette has a crush on me," he said. Nino stared at him, then burst into snickers.

" _That's_ what this is all about?" he laughed. Adrien stared at his friend.

"You _knew_?"

"Of course I knew," Nino said. "I think you're the only person in our class who _didn't_ know, bud."

"Wha—how could—Nino, I set you up on a date with her!" Adrien exclaimed, fumbling for words to express his shock.

"Whoa, I didn't know _then_ ," Nino assured him, holding up his hands in innocence. "I found out afterwards from Alya. And she swore me to secrecy. But apparently Marinette stares at the back of your head all the time, so everybody else knows."

Adrien grimaced. Great. He wasn't going to be able to concentrate in class now that he knew _that_!

"But what's the problem, dude?" Nino asked. "C'mon. It can't be that bad to have a cute girl crushing on you, right?"

"I like someone else," Adrien muttered. Nino grimaced.

"Oh, dude… that's… shitty for her, then," he said uncomfortably. "When ya gonna tell her?"

Adrien gave him a dry stare, his insides twisting. "She found out this morning."

He watched as comprehension dawned on Nino's face. Then his friend shook his head. "It was nice knowing ya, bro," he said, looking at sympathetically. "But Alya's gonna kill you."

Adrien scoffed. "At this point, I'd welcome it," he said, still depressed. Nino raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I meant to hurt her feelings!" Adrien exclaimed. "Marinette's a great person! She's cute, and funny; she's got that sassy attitude when you push her too far…. And she likes video games! Not to mention she's smart, and nice, and she's got that—WHAT?" Nino was smirking at him.

"You _sure_ you don't like her, man? 'Cause I can't think of many girls who can top all of what you just spouted off," he said. Adrien looked away. No way could he tell his best friend that his secret love was _Ladybug_. He'd think he was just a stupid fanboy. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _Maybe he was_.

Just then, the rest of the boys from their class joined them. Class must be over.

"What the hell was up today, Agreste?" Kim asked, coming up with a towel already over his shoulders. "Our team lost because of you!"

"Sorry," Adrien said, too drained to mean it anymore.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nathaniel asked, looking worried.

"Today's performance was completely outside your normal standards, Adrien," Max said, straightening his glasses. "Obviously, an outside source must be affecting your abilities."

"Back off, dudes," Nino said. "My man's having girl issues." A muttering of understanding swept the locker room.

"Wait, you have a girl?" Kim asked. Adrien groaned and let his head flop forward into his knees.

"He found out about Marinette's crush," Nino stage-whispered. Comprehension made its rounds again.

"Seriously?"

"'Bout time."

"That's what's had you upset all day?"

"So, what's the problem? Marinette's a catch!"

Adrien wanted to sink into the ground. Everyone but him really _had_ known. How could he be so stupid? "Guys," he moaned. "I already like someone else!"

Silence reigned for a moment.

"Who, Chloe?" Kim asked, smirking. They all started laughing at the disgusted look Adrien gave him.

"Nah, it's gotta be one of those supermodels he's always hanging out with," Nathaniel argued. Adrien raised an eyebrow at him. He never "hung out" with the girls he sometimes posed with. His father wouldn't let him. Most of them were too stuck on themselves for him to even want to. The rest were gold-diggers. At least, according to his father.

"Who'd want one of those twigs when you could be with Marinette?" Ivan asked suddenly. Adrien looked at the big guy, surprised. Ivan was usually pretty quiet around him. Today he smiled. "Seriously, Adrien, Marinette's great. She's helped me out a lot when I needed it. If I didn't already have a girlfriend I love, I'd fight you for her."

"Nobody has to fight me for anything," Adrien said quietly. "If any of you want to go out with her, by all means… make her happy." He banged his head against the locker again. "God knows I can't."

 _If I tell them I made her cry this morning, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get beat up in this locker room_ , he thought wryly.

"You gotta be kidding, right?" Kim said, moving to lean against his own locker and still smirking. "You think we're gonna make a move on her, knowing she's pining for _you_?"

"Kim, you do realize Chloe had a crush on Adrien too, right?" Max said.

"Yeah, and I learned my lesson from that!" Kim said quickly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ugh. I'm glad I don't remember most of it, but Alix still brings up that stupid picture every so often."

"Marinette would never do that to someone," Nathaniel said quietly.

Adrien focused on the redhead. "You still like her, don't you?" he asked, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt. But Nathaniel gave him a quick laugh.

"No, no, she's great and all, but… I don't think I'm ready for something like that," he said, blushing a bit. "If becoming an akuma has taught me anything, it's how much more I have to grow. As an artist and a person." He shook his head. "I don't want a girlfriend right now. And when I do, I think I'll still be too embarrassed by that whole debacle to ask Marinette."

His heart sinking, Adrien let his eyes roam over the other guys.

Max nervously adjusted his glasses. "I'm with Nathaniel on this. Marinette is a lovely person and an excellent gamer, but my focus must remain on my studies if I am to maintain a high grade-point average and get into my university of choice."

Nino shook his head. "Taken."

Ivan held up his hand. "Same."

Kim smirked at him mischievously. "Sure, I'll take one for the team," he said easily. Adrien felt a spark of hope, but it was quickly followed by suspicion. _What did he mean by that?_ Surely Kim would be—well, he didn't think they had anything in common, actually—but he'd at least be _nice_ to Marinette, right? "Yeah, she's the class rep; can't do much better there. And she's got a cute butt. Maybe I'll even get a big, wet kiss from her, ehh, Agreste?"

"You'll be a gentleman to her!" Adrien snarled, standing up before he'd even realized he'd moved, his hands balled into fists. Nino was quickly between them, but suddenly, Kim burst out laughing.

"Ha, you should see your face, man!" he exclaimed. "Relax, Adrien, I'm just messing with you."

"That's not funny," Adrien said, backing down but still shaking.

Kim shook his head at him. "Geez, you've got it as bad as she does," he said. "I give you 'til the end of the week before you're _begging_ Marinette to go out with you."

"Ah, ah, ah, Kim, you're not allowed to make any more bets for the remainder of the school year, as per the bet you lost with Alix earlier this year," Max reminded him.

"Aww," Kim whined. But he shook it off easily. "Whatever. We all know I'm right. C'mon, guys, we're missing lunch trying to figure out Romeo's love problems here."

* * *

End Chapter 3.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 4**

After school, Adrien had a photoshoot at the park, but when he got in the car after that, the Gorilla gave a very-pointed glare at the bouquet of roses Adrien had _happened_ to leave behind when he'd gone to school.

"Fine," Adrien sighed and grabbed it. "But I'm walking." The Gorilla narrowed his eyes, but Adrien refused to back down. "She lives nearby and I'm _not_ letting you drive me to her doorstep so you can sit there and wait while I have an awkward conversation with my _friend_ ," he stressed, getting back out of the car. "I'll call you when I need a pick-up." The Gorilla grunted in satisfaction and drove off as soon as Adrien closed the door.

Adrien groaned a little and looked at the bouquet. Little did his father know, Adrien Agreste's reputation had never been at stake. It was Cat Noir who'd messed up big time. He was not looking forward to this. He ducked into a nearby alley to transform. As soon as they were clear, Plagg rose up to grin at him.

"You know, sometimes I seriously consider putting a camera in the suit somehow," he said, his grin getting bigger. "You two are hilarious."

"Ha ha, Plagg," Adrien replied, rolling his eyes. "Claws out."

Cat Noir took a deep breath and leapt up, heading towards her balcony. _Maybe she'd forgive him. Maybe she'd scream at him and start throwing things. Maybe she wouldn't be home?_

He landed on her balcony and stared at the hatch. _The lights were off... maybe she really wasn't home? He could leave the flowers and a little note of apology and call it good, right?_ But… it was still bright outside, so she might just be conserving energy or something. His manners dictated that he at least try. He knocked lightly on the hatch and felt his stomach plummet when his super-hearing picked up the sound of movement below.

 _Just apologize_ , he chanted at himself. _Give her the flowers and apologize_.

The hatch opened and her head appeared.

"Cat—"

She froze as he shoved the roses in her face.

"For you!" he declared, feeling awkward. _C'mon, Cat Noir, be the confident superhero!_ But all he could manage was a big, cheesy grin as she looked at the flowers, then up at him, then back down to the flowers. She bit her lip, then glanced back up at him.

"Come on inside," she said finally, going back down. He swallowed the lump in his throat and followed her. At least she hadn't screamed and thrown things at him, right? It wasn't the worst-case scenario.

Once they were down in her lounge area, he offered her the flowers again, this time sweeping down on one knee and holding them out with a bow. There. That was much better. And it made her giggle a bit as she took them.

"Thank you, Cat Noir," she said, laying them down on her desk and turning back to him. "But you really didn't have to."

"Yes, I did," he said seriously, standing up and brushing himself off. He bit his lip. "A little birdy told me you weren't in school today."

She looked away. "I was worried I might get akumatized if I went to school and saw… well, I didn't want to put my friends in danger." She winced. "Which, now that I think about it, is really stupid, cause it's right across the street…."

He winced too. He didn't _ever_ want to see her become an akuma. Especially if it was because she was upset at _him_. The idea of _Marinette,_ discolored and twisted by Hawkmoth, coming at him with _hate_ in her eyes… it was enough to make his stomach churn and give him chills.

"I'm sorry about this morning," he said quickly. "I had no right to talk to you like that."

"I'm glad you did," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm glad you told me about Adrien. It gave me time to realize what an idiot I've been with him."

"You're not an idiot," Cat protested.

She looked up at him shyly from her lashes and gave a small, self-deprecating laugh. "You haven't even seen half of my collection," she said.

Cat snorted out his own laughter, looking at her walls again. "I doubt it can get much worse! You've got—"

He froze as she suddenly pulled down something that looked like a presentation screen. On it was… a calendar? He studied it for a moment, then his eyes went wide. It was a schedule! His schedule! Adrien's schedule! And it was eerily accurate! HOLY—!

"You're not just a fangirl, princess. You're a stalker," he said dazedly, trying to stop his jaw from dropping.

"I am not a _stalker_ , I'm a planner," she argued, crossing her arms defensively. Then she wilted. "But I know what it looks like. I started this because he's got such a crazy schedule. I thought, maybe if I could figure out the best time to go on a date, I could force myself to ask him out. Then it turned into… this." She gestured at the schedule and sank down in her chair, looking miserable. "And I never did ask him. Or even tell him about my feelings."

Cat looked at schedule for a moment. He should be seriously creeped out here. But it was kinda… well, cute. And little Marinette there… he knew she was no actual threat to him. She hadn't even been able to _talk_ to Adrien. Even with all of this to help her…. A little laugh escaped him before he could stop it.

Her head shot up.

"Are you… laughing at me?" she asked incredulously.

He quickly covered his mouth. "No," he lied. She scowled at him and her cheeks puffed out a bit, making her look like an angry kitten. He tried to choke down more laughter. It wasn't working.

"It's. Not. Funny," she said, standing up and stalking towards him, poking him in the chest.

"It kinda is."

"How would you like it if I made fun of your crush on Ladybug?!" she asked.

"Can you get me her schedule?" he burst out before he could help himself, laughing.

She threw her hands up in the air in disgust. " _Why_ do I even put up with you?" she exclaimed. He caught her hand before she could stomp away.

"Hey! Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made fun of you," he said, still grinning. "It's actually… really great that you care that much about him." Despite the awkwardness of it all, it made him feel warm, knowing he had someone who loved him that much.

"For all the good it did me," she muttered, looking at the schedule too. She glanced at him. "I don't suppose you could… Cataclysm that thing, could you?"

Cat smirked at her. "You want me to leave that badly, princess?"

"No, no, nevermind," she said, as she recalled he got a timer afterwards. She bit her lip and took a breath. "I need to apologize to you too. For yelling at you about Ladybug earlier. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he assured her. "You… well, you made me think about some things I didn't want to, that's all." He gave a sigh of his own. "I guess… I assumed a bit too much about Ladybug. She was always just so easy to work with, you know? We finish each other's thoughts… it's like I have a sixth sense of what she wants me to do…. Like having a soul mate. My other half. And everything always turns out so perfect in the end! I… I just kinda figured our relationship would eventually become romantic. That she'd want me automatically, or something stupid like that."

"You're not stupid," Marinette said softly. He looked down at her with a smile.

 _And_ _ **you**_ _are gonna make me fall for you with those big, blue eyes_ , he thought. _Then I'll really be in trouble._

Smiling, he bent down to give her a small, friendly kiss on the cheek. A thank-you. A token of affection. He wasn't expecting her to turn her head as he moved, with a puzzled, "Cat?"

He certainly wasn't expecting the heat that raced through him when his lips brushed hers.

He jolted upright, feeling his face flush and ready to start apologizing _again_ when—he stopped. It actually hadn't been that bad. Hell, it hadn't felt bad at all! That had been pure _pleasure_ racing through him. In fact…, he licked his lips. He wanted to do it again. There was a burning down deep in his gut—he _needed_ to do it again. He looked down at Marinette, seeing her own blush as she stared at him. She hadn't started stammering out an apology either. She hadn't pulled away or slapped him. Had she liked it too?

Cautiously, he reached out to cup her face as he slowly leaned down. _If you don't want this, princess, tell me now,_ he told her silently. To his delight, all she did was close her eyes as he pressed his lips against hers again.

Fire raced through him again, but he was expecting it, and the warmth and pleasure flowing through him quickly took over. It took his breath away and he could barely hear himself gasp through the rushing in his ears. It wasn't perfect; her lips were dry and his were chapped from running in the wind every night, but it was completely her and completely him, and that made it something more. He heard Marinette softly moan, and then her own hand came up to cup _his_ face as she kissed him back.

 _YESSSSS,_ his body purred as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer as his lips moved over hers. He felt her press up against him as the hand on his cheek slid up to tangle in his hair. Her other hand was up under his arm, clutching him tightly. All the weights of the world dropped away as he reveled in just feeling the warmth of her mouth against his. _OH GOD, YES._

 _Not Ladybug, not Ladybug_ , another part of his brain whispered, and, to his surprise, all he felt was relief. This was no perfect, unreachable goddess who pushed him away at every turn. This was _Marinette_ , who knew him, both as Adrien and Cat Noir, and was holding him tight, her hand buried in his hair, her mouth responding eagerly to his as she pulled him close…. He wanted to get even closer. He had to _devour_ her. With that in mind, he nipped at her lip lightly, smiling when she gasped and driving his tongue forward to deepen the kiss.

At that, her knees buckled from underneath her and he quickly shifted to take her weight, holding her up even as his mind filled with all the jokes he was gonna make about her falling for him. But not now. Now…. He lifted her up and pushed her against the nearest wall, only breaking the kiss when she gasped in surprise.

"Cat," she breathed.

"Shall we try that again?" he purred, pressing himself against her. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins like only the fiercest akuma fights had done before, and he was loving every minute of it, even if he wasn't completely sure he was doing things right. Still, she didn't seem to be complaining as her hands gripped at the hair at the base of his neck and pulled him to her. Once again, his mouth met hers. God, it was even better now. Her mouth was already open; eager and hot and ready for him to explore her thoroughly. And he did, taking his time to taste her. He nearly mewled as, this time, she was the one to gently tug on his lips with her teeth, soothing the bite with her tongue afterwards.

"Oh God, princess," he gasped huskily, crashing their lips together and pulling her flush against him. He felt her legs wrap around him, the softness and warmth of her body cradling him. For the first time, he cursed his Miraculous armor, because he could barely feel anything through the damn suit. It was made to slam into buildings, not feel the smoothness of the skin of the girl pressed up against him. And he was too scared to use his hands to rub up against her; his claws might hurt her. Unlike a real cat, the damn things weren't retractable. (As Plagg would say, claws out!) But he _wanted_ to touch her. He wanted MORE. He needed more. Something darker, more primal, rose inside him. He needed to wipe out all thoughts of idiotic models and unreachable superheroes and mark her as _his_.

With that in mind, he moved away from her lips to trail kisses down her neck, breathing in her scent. There was a spot, right at the juncture of her neck and collarbone, where he could hear her blood pounding furiously. He kissed it and she made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeak. _Bingo_. He attacked it; kissing, sucking, biting, and licking it as her body writhed under his, her gasps quickly turning into deep moans that shot straight down his spine. He sucked harder.

"Cat, Cat, please, Oh God, please," she chanted breathlessly. What she was begging for, he wasn't sure. But her hands, clutching at him and running through his hair, were urging him on and—they hit a spot just behind his cat ears and his whole body _surged_. He let his claws dig into her shirt _just enough_ — _not too deep, don't touch the skin, he didn't want to hurt her_ —but if he pulled down….

He froze as he realized just what he'd done. What he'd been about to do. He wasn't sure he dared to breathe.

"Cat?" she called, sounding anxious at his abrupt stop. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, no, he had to stop this right now!_ He buried his face in her neck so he wouldn't have to look at her just yet. Slowly, he let her down and removed his claws from her shirt, bracing himself against the wall behind her as he forced himself to breathe. _No, no, nononononono… this was all wrong!_ And if he didn't say something soon, she might catch on... she was still holding him tightly, after all, and carding her hand through his hair so purrfectly... She giggled. "You should see your tail, Cat Noir. It's ramrod straight."

 _Ohh, it's not the only thing, princess._

He drew a shuddering breath and pulled away to look down at her, taking deep breaths. "I… uh…" Oh, _fuck_. She looked _ravished_. Mussed hair, bruised lips, and a large red spot on her neck that was surely going to darken here soon. It wasn't doing anything to lessen his current state, that was for sure.

"I should go," he gulped, grinning at her sheepishly. She blinked at him, glanced slowly down his body, and quickly looked back up at his face again.

"Y-yeah, th-that might be best," she agreed, blushing furiously.

Cat shot off her as if he had been burned. He was halfway across her room before he forced himself to stop. Part of him wanted to run as quickly and as far away as possible. Maybe take a cold shower and try to forget this had ever happened. But the other part… he clenched his fist. They were already the epitome of an awkward couple, and they weren't even really a couple! They both loved someone else! Well, he loved someone else, she just didn't know who he was behind the mask, so it was _like_ being in love with someone else…. And he wasn't sure if that made it better or worse… but—

"Cat Noir?" Marinette's voice called from where he'd left her.

"I don't want to leave on another bad note," he muttered, not turning to look at her just yet. If he saw her looking so messy and _wild_ again, he might do something he'd regret later.

Probably.

Maybe.

He might regret it a little bit.

He tensed when he heard her move towards him. He wasn't completely back to normal yet, and he didn't think he could face her like this. Her hand lightly touched his arm and he jumped, relieved when all she did was rest her forehead on his back.

"Look," she said, sounding as breathless as he felt. "I don't know what just happened between us, and I don't pretend to understand what's going on with you and Ladybug. But I do know, no matter what, in the end, I still want to be your friend, Cat Noir. Can you promise me that much, at least?"

He nearly sobbed. Here he was, worse than trash, taking something that didn't belong to him when _both_ their hearts were with somebody else—and dammit, he knew who she wanted and refused to give him to her—and she still… He spun around and grabbed her in the biggest hug ever. He pulled her as close as he dared, and not nearly as much as he wanted.

"I don't deserve a friend like you," he whispered, feeling her arms go around him.

"I'm _really_ not that great," Marinette replied, her voice breaking too.

He wanted to ask her what she meant by that, to claim that she was worth a thousand of him, but at the same time, he didn't want to start another argument. He just wanted to stay there and hold her for a moment, as though his heart _wasn't_ shredding itself into a thousand pieces from all the heartbreak he was putting both her _and_ himself through.

Eventually, all good things must come to an end, and Cat knew his driver would relay just how long he was with his "friend" to his father. He had to go. And she…. He closed his eyes and swallowed.

"You should talk to Adrien," he said quietly, hating himself. "Just—just to get things out in the open."

"Same for you and Ladybug," she said, sounding like she was ready to cry. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "No more 'what ifs.'" He nodded. He intended to do that anyway, the next time he saw her.

Then, before he could think better of it, he leaned down and kissed her again, fiercely. He ended it before she could respond, fisting his hand in her hair and resting his forehead against hers. Dammit, he should be apologizing to her, not making it worse! But—

"I'm not sorry," he rasped out. "Whatever else happens… I liked kissing you. So much."

"So do it again, you stupid cat," she breathed.

He groaned and did just that. _He was never going to get out of here_! Not with the way she was cupping his face and letting their tongues play sensually, dancing… He needed this. He was addicted to this already. The warmth coiling deep in stomach. The way he was clutching her hair like a lifeline, swallowing her moans, holding her body to him possessively as his other hand ran down her back—

 _No, Cat!_ He pulled away from her desperately.

"Go! I have to—!"

Then _she_ was the one with _her_ hands in _his_ hair, pulling him back down for another bruising, deep kiss and— _oh, fuck, she was hot when she dominated_ —pressing up against him and then pushing him away with a cry, shaking her head like she couldn't get him out of her thoughts.

"Go, yes! You need to go! You _have_ to go," Marinette said, ducking her head and covering her face with her hands so he couldn't attack her again. He panted, staring at her.

"I don't want to go," he admitted. She peeked up at him from between her fingers.

"I don't want you to go either, but…." She drew a deep, ragged breath.

He nodded, gulping. _But_. But they both had people they needed to talk to. People they loved. And him staying here wasn't going to help the situation one bit. He took a step back and hesitated.

"Can I still come back?" he asked, worried he had crossed one too many lines already. They'd both just said they wanted to stay friends, but… To his relief, she smiled at him.

"Always."

His heart lighter, he nodded and leapt out her hatch before he did something _stupid_ , like scoop her up, lay her down on that chaise, and _complicate the fuck out of this whole situation further_!

He made sure he was a couple buildings away before he leaned against a wall and sank to the ground in frustration. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING? What the actual—what had he intended to gain with that? Making out with her? _Oh, what a good idea, you stupid asshole!_ He loved someone else! _She_ loved someone else! Someone—he groaned. Someone he could give to her, if he stopped being such a stubborn jerk. If he gave up on Ladybug. He could reveal himself to her. He was sure _eventually_ Marinette would forgive him for all the shit he'd just put her through and they could be happy together, but…

The image of Ladybug—her bright, confidant smile, elegant body, and playful eyes—popped into his mind and he groaned aloud. He just… _loved_ _her_ so damn much! He couldn't even explain it! He'd been happily making out with another girl and all it took was the _thought_ of her to bring all those feelings back!

"Plagg," he whimpered, needing companionship, even his unhelpful kwami's, "claws in."

He felt the magic withdraw like it always did, but Plagg didn't immediately start harassing him. He looked up to see the kwami shaking his head at him.

"Kid," he said, "you are in desperate need of cheese."

* * *

End Chapter 4.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 5**

Adrien had to give Marinette credit. She tried to talk to him several times at school the next day. But that girl had terrible luck. He thought he'd had it bad as Cat Noir, but Marinette… she wrote the damn book.

It started when he'd said a simple "hello" to her outside before school had even started. She'd tripped on the stairs. He'd started to go help her clean up the books she'd dropped, but Alya was already there, laughing and shaking her head at her friend. And Kim was watching him with a raised eyebrow nearby. Adrien fled.

In between classes, she'd said hello to him, but before she could ask him to come and have a deep, meaningful, _painfully-awkward_ conversation, he couldn't resist complimenting her on her new pink scarf that she wore tightly around her neck. (He had to give her props, it matched her outfit perfectly, but he still wanted to see what was underneath it. God, he _really_ wanted to see it. He was dying here. He'd worked hard on that thing, and was sure it had blossomed beautifully.)

She had, predictably, gone a very deep shade of red, especially when Alya overheard them and started questioning her friend why she was wearing a scarf in September when it was still hot enough to consider ice cream as one of the major food groups. Marinette had stuttered out some excuse about being bitten by a cat (Adrien had had to fake a cough to stop himself from choking) and Alya had immediately gone into mother-bear mode. (What was she doing with a feral cat? Had she gotten tested for rabies? Let me see it, it might be infected….) Adrien had finally had to excuse himself to go to the bathroom so he could burst out laughing.

There was a special spot in Hell reserved for him. He was sure of it.

He wasn't able to hang around for lunch so she could catch him (another damn photoshoot), and he came back in the middle of afternoon classes when they couldn't talk, but he was partially glad for the respite. He'd been remembering the taste of her and the moans she'd made, (not to mention the fire in his belly and the noises she'd drawn from _him_ ,) far too much to be completely comfortable around her.

And after school, he saw her walking towards him with a determined look on her face—only to be shoved to the side by Chloe, who then attached herself to Adrien's arm and led him to her limo, gushing about some accessory in his father's new line that he just _had_ to buy for her, wouldn't it look good…?

Adrien looked over his shoulder to see Marinette doing some strange, defeated, caterpillar-like slide back over to her best friend, not even bothering to get up off the ground. He shook in silent laughter. And then he kicked himself for laughing.

How could something so wrong feel so right? He belonged to Ladybug. He loved Ladybug with all his heart! What happened between him and Marinette had been a mistake. A slip of the tongue— _crap, don't think about tongue! No, no, no!_ They were _friends_! _Just_ friends! Good friends, who'd both had a moment of weakness after realizing the ones they loved were further away than they thought. That was it, right? Nobody was cheating on anybody, because nobody was actually going out with anybody.

And it wasn't like it was going to go anywhere! There was no way he was going to two-time the two best girls in the world by going out with both of them. Marinette would hand him over to her bear of a father, to be roasted alive in his ovens, and Ladybug… he gulped.

He loved his lady, but he'd be the first to admit she had a temper. And killer yo-yo skills. No, thank you. He liked all of his pieces the way they were and would prefer that they all remained attached! So, no. He wasn't going to do anything to make her mad. And he hadn't done anything that should make her mad. Right?

 _So why did he feel so guilty?_

He figured it was karma coming back to bite him when another akuma showed up a couple hours later, the monster seeming to take great delight in throwing Cat Noir into buildings and cars. _Yup, he deserved that. And that. And ow! That one had really hurt! No, no, don't use the tail! OUCH! Geez, how could this thing hurt when it was just a freaking belt?_

Then Ladybug leapt in to save the day, and Cat Noir's stomach did flip-flops. Now it was his turn to be an awkward mess. What was he going to say to her?

' _Oh hey, Ladybug, I just made out yesterday with this awesome girl from my class, but I still think you're the love of my life so will you please go out with me?_ ' Hmph. Yeah, right.

He dove at the akuma again. If _that_ was all he had, he really needed to get his ass kicked some more.

One Lucky Charm later (a bowling pin. Seriously, who saves the world with a bowling pin?) and it turns out the akuma was a really bad juggler who couldn't resist said bowling pin. The rest of the plan involved Ladybug's yo-yo hitting the pin where they wanted him to go, a well-placed Cataclysm (if he did say so himself!), and a car door to the face.

The akuma went down, the item already broken. Ladybug did her Catch and Release Program for Evil Little Butterflies and then everything was bright and beautiful again after being hit by a swarm of magical ladybugs. His life was so weird.

"Pound it!" they said together with their usual fist bump. Ladybug turned to go.

"Ladybug, wait!" Cat cried, chasing after her. She stopped and sighed, turning to face him slowly, chewing on her lip.

"Cat Noir, I don't have much time left. Can't this wait?"

"I won't take long, promise," he said. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I just… err, well, I-I-I wanted to kn-know if there was ever a ch-chance… that you and I… could maybe go out sometime? Y-you know, without the evil villains and stuff."

She stared at him for a moment, mouth slightly open. With every passing second, he felt his hopes falling farther and farther.

"Why?" she asked, finally.

He blinked at her. "Because I love you," he said before he could stop himself. He clenched his fist and tried to ignore his own panicked screaming in his head. No. It was better this way. He should've told her a long time ago.

"Caaat," she groaned, burying her face in her hand. "You can't love me. You don't even know me! The only time we see each other is _with_ the 'evil villains and stuff.'"

He felt his face flame, but stepped forward with his idea. "We could reveal—"

"NO!" Ladybug said, stomping that thought into the ground. "We are not telling _anybody_ who we are! Hawkmoth is out there, Cat Noir, don't you get that? He's just waiting for an opportunity to capture us!"

Cat stepped back, silent and sullen. His feelings had been dismissed. Even his opinion was disregarded. Complete and utter rejection. He almost leapt away and left her there. But she caught his arm before he could.

"Cat," she said desperately, " _please_. Please try to understand. I love you too, as my best friend and partner. But I. Am. _Terrified_ that Hawkmoth will find out who I am. What if he comes after my family? My friends? _You_? I-I don't think I could handle it! We'd lose this fight. Permanently. You understand that, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he said, his voice sounding rough. She was so wonderful, so perfect, she'd give up anything to keep everyone safe. That's just who she was.

"But maybe after all of this is said and done, we can grab a smoothie or something," she said, giving him a smile. "I'd love to know who you are sometime, I really would. You know, without the 'evil villains and stuff.'"

He smiled back at her, knowing she was trying to lighten the mood. So, he puffed out his chest and threw his head back. "You'd fall for me in an instant," he bragged.

She giggled. "No doubt."

Her earrings and his ring beeped. Just a few more minutes. Instead of running for it, he turned to face her fully.

"My lady, do you… already have someone you love?" he asked. He had to ask. He had to know. As Marinette had said, 'no more what ifs.' To his surprise, Ladybug blushed deeply. He felt his heart crack. That was a definite yes.

"Well, errr, sort of, I guess," she said, stammering a bit. Even with his heart breaking so thoroughly, Cat couldn't help but smile. He'd never seen his lady so flustered before. This must be some guy.

He grasped her hand and pulled it to his lips. "Whoever he is, I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you," he murmured, giving it a kiss. Then, before she could reply, he took off, leaping in random directions.

It wasn't his fault he could barely see through all the tears.

Finally, he heard the final beeping of his ring and quickly jumped down to ground level. He had enough experience to know he didn't want to get caught without his transformation on some random rooftop. It was much harder to get home. The magic gave out and he sank down to the ground behind a dumpster. _That had been so humiliating! He wanted to go hide somewhere forever!_ Plagg hovered near his face worriedly and Adrien gave him a small smile through the tears still streaking down his face.

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll be fine soon," he said, burying his face in his hands.

"Really?" Plagg asked.

"It actually didn't hurt as much as I thought it would," Adrien said, trying hard to see the positive side of this. He took a deep breath and wiped away the last of his tears. "At least I know she's happy. She has someone who loves her. Even if it isn't me. That's something, right?"

"Sure kid," Plagg muttered, still looking uncertain.

 _And I have somebody too, if I want her,_ Adrien reasoned with himself _. I haven't rejected Marinette yet._ Suddenly, he was grateful to her enormous bad luck that day. And in the next instant, was slammed by guilt.

 _Second choice._

 _The backup option._

If they ever became serious with their relationship, he knew he was eventually going to have to tell her who he was. That he was Cat Noir. He could just see it, making a mistake and calling her "princess" someday by mistake. And then she'd know. Know that she had been competing against Ladybug again. And that it was only Ladybug's rejection that had made him turn to her. He could only imagine how he'd feel if he knew he was somebody's second choice… he buried his face in his hands. _He couldn't do that to her._

"You all are making this a whole lot more complicated than it has to be," Plagg was mumbling to himself.

Adrien laughed, short and harsh. "Yeah, well, I wish to God there was a way to make this simpler, believe me."

Plagg's eyes suddenly went wide and he looked behind himself before zooming into Adrien's jacket. "I do believe you, and wish granted!" he squeaked.

"Huh?"

"Why didn't you just tell him who you were then, Marinette?" a small voice said, coming from the street on the other side of the dumpster he was hiding behind. He perked up. _Marinette? Someone was talking to_ —

"You know why, Tikki," Marinette sighed.

" _Oh_ no," the smaller voice admonished. "That Hawkmoth excuse doesn't work on me. I already told you he reads _emotions_ , not minds."

"He could still use that!"

"Only if you get caught. Come on, what's the real reason?"

Marinette sighed again. "Because, if he's going to love me, I want him to love me for me. Not just because I'm Ladybug. You heard him earlier, he thought I'd just automatically fall into his waiting arms like some damsel in distress! But I'm not _just_ a superhero. And I'm not perfect. I don't think he understands that, sometimes."

The tiny voice sighed. "A lot of people think the person they're in love with is perfect, Marinette."

"That's a totally different thing, Tikki, and you know it…."

Their voices faded away as they walked on, completely oblivious to Adrien's frozen, gaping form behind the dumpster. Plagg drifted out of his jacket, grinning.

"I'd take a picture of your face right now if I could. But, hmm… I think you're gonna faint, lover boy."

Adrien just stared at his kwami with wide eyes. Plagg sighed.

"They're gone, kid. And you really need to breathe."

Adrien moved his mouth for a moment, but no sound came out. Certainly, no air went in.

"Seriously, Adrien. Air. Now."

Instead, Adrien's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped to the ground in a dead faint. Plagg sighed.

"Drama queen," he muttered, shifting his wielder's unconscious body around so he'd be more comfortable.

Plagg wrinkled his nose. Adrien was going to be a complete mess when he woke up, but it had had to be done. He glanced in the direction Tikki and her Chosen had gone. Undoubtedly, the other kwami would be irate with him for hiding his presence and allowing her and her Bug to be overheard and outed. And he couldn't deny that he absolutely _loved_ teasing Adrien about his ridiculous love-life, but… there was a point when hiding became more of a hindrance than a help. A point when the reveal caused hurt instead of delight. And they had been quickly approaching that point.

Even now… he glanced down at Adrien. Even now, it would be far too easy for the two superheroes to turn against each other forever. The kid had been too close to breaking. He'd seen it hundreds of times before to know the signs. He hoped it wasn't too late. But… one wrong word. A misstep. And everything would come crashing down around them.

Love would turn to hate.

Tikki and her positive, optimistic Bugs forgot that sometimes. But his Cats had always been more sensitive. It was their nature. And it was part of what made the partnership work. A Cat who turned his back on his heart was a dangerous thing. Even _he_ shivered as he remembered some of the things that had been done when his kitten's eyes turned ice cold.

He tried, in his own way, to stop it each time. Laughing, teasing them about situations that would seem much worse if he hadn't made them into a joke, adopting a lackadaisical attitude about the whole superhero business so they wouldn't ask too many questions about just _how much_ destruction they could wreak if they _really_ tried…. Destruction and bad luck were powers that were hard to keep on the side of "good," (if you believed in such a thing,) no matter how innocent and nice his Cats were. The temptation was always there.

But in the end, it was really up to the Bug. He didn't know if Tikki had ever told Marinette just how much his Cat depended on her (probably not, that girl was a wreck as it was), but in the end, that was the simple truth. He needed her. Cat Noir needed Ladybug. Destruction had to follow creation's lead.

Left on his own… Plagg shuddered and looked at his wielder's face as he recalled what had happened whenever the balance hadn't been maintained. No Bug to temper his Cat. Left on his own, with nothing more than destruction on his side, and no love to anchor him to the goodness of the world, he'd become a villain that would make Hawkmoth look like a squalling, helpless baby.

Adrien's home life was already a tragedy, just waiting for him to break. But he couldn't break. Plagg wouldn't let him. Not from something as preventable as this. Not from the Miraculous. Or some stupid idea about secret identities. He refused to be the cause. Not this time. And he didn't want the girl to be the cause either. With how close their civilian identities already were, and emotions and their extraordinary luck pushing in all directions, there was no chance those two would remain a secret forever anyway. Something had to give. Tikki and her Chosen could just suck it up and deal with it.

 _Besides_ , he thought with a quick grin, _he couldn't wait to see what happened from here_.

He loved it when his Cat had an advantage over the Bug. It made things so much more interesting.

 _But first…_ , he buried himself in Adrien's shirt, looking for the emergency stash of camembert.

* * *

End Chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and I am not affiliated with them in any way.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 6**

Adrien woke up to Plagg splashing water in his face. He sat up, sputtering, and grabbed the still-half-full water bottle from his very-unhelpful black cat. He threw it away before Plagg could try to use it again. _Where had he even gotten that?_

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" his kwami sang cheerfully. "It's getting dark and you're all out of cheese!"

"Plagg," Adrien said, still dazed, and wiping water from his face. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You fainted," Plagg teased, "like the fragile wittle princess you are."

"Princess? _Princess_!" Adrien's eyes shot wide open as he remembered. "Marinette! _Ladybug_! MarinetteisLadybug! Oh my God, Plagg, MARINETTE IS LADYBUG!"

"Yeah, and if you yell it any louder, all of Paris will hear you," Plagg quipped. Adrien covered his mouth with both hands, staring at him in shock.

"Marinette is Ladybug," he mumbled behind his hands.

"You said that already."

"Marinette is—"

"Yeah, kid. I know. I know, you know, she knows, we all know!"

"You _knew_?" Adrien gaped at him.

Plagg gave him a droll stare. "Hi, I'm Plagg, miniature ancient god who grants superpowers," he deadpanned. "Of course I'd know when my partner is like two feet away from me most of the freaking day!" he exclaimed. "Now, can we go get some camembert?"

"Oh my God," Adrien said, still in shock. "Oh my—Plagg, why didn't you tell me?"

"And miss this look on your face? Nuh uh," Plagg said, casually floating in the air. "Plus, I'm not really supposed to. Ancient laws and guidelines and all that, blah, de, blah, blah, blah…."

"Do you realize how much stress you could've saved me from—!"

"Again, not my job. I'm just here to enjoy the show. Now, cam-em-bert… I'll sing it for you if I have to, Sleeping Beauty. Princesses like singing animals, right?"

Adrien growled at him, but Plagg just gave him an innocent smile. Then Adrien turned in the direction of the bakery and slowly stood up. He could see it from here. It must've been why she passed by this way after the fight. And he, as Cat Noir, had come here automatically, seeking comfort from the one person he knew he could get it from….

"Marinette is Ladybug," he breathed, the concept still swimming in his head. How had he never seen it before? She looked just like Ladybug. The hair, the eyes, even her voice…. He ran a hand through his hair. Then he froze as he realized something else.

 _I kissed Ladybug._

 _Hellfire, I made out with Ladybug!_

He felt his face flame. He'd kissed her, shoved his tongue down her throat, pushed her up against a wall, given her a hickey, and…

And told her to talk to Adrien.

He felt his stomach plummet. Marinette was in love with Adrien. Which meant Ladybug was in love Adrien. But _he_ was Adrien!

"Ladybug is in love with me," he whispered in awe. _**He**_ _was his own rival for the girl of his dreams! How messed up was that?_

"Yeah, yeah, you and your intricate love life. Now, I _believe_ we were talking about _home_ and _cheese_ ," Plagg pressed. Adrien scowled down at him, just noticing the empty packages in the street around them.

"Did you eat _all_ of my emergency stash?"

Plagg belched. "Maybe."

Adrien smirked. "Good, then you've got enough charge. Claws out!"

Plagg's eyes widened as he was sucked into the ring. "No, waaaiiiittt—!"

Cat Noir joyfully bounded up to the rooftops and over towards her balcony, landing with a slightly harder thump than usual, he was so excited. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he... He froze.

Marinette claimed to love Adrien, but had still been willing to make out with Cat Noir. Admittedly, he had started the whole thing, even though he claimed to be in love with Ladybug, but he hadn't _meant_ to… and…. Okay, so they'd kinda both been two-timing each other. Sorta. Even though they weren't really dating. No one had actually asked anyone out… except for him. He gulped.

Marinette had told him to talk to Ladybug. Knowing she was Ladybug. Knowing… he narrowed his eyes. Knowing she was going to let him down as Ladybug, so she could pursue Adrien. And he had told her to talk to Adrien, knowing he would let her down so he could pursue Ladybug.

 _Holy fucking Hell_. No wonder Plagg had been laughing so hard. He raked his hands through his hair, unable to stop himself from grabbing it and pulling. He'd thought they were the epitome of an awkward couple before. Now… _now_ they were a convoluted mess!

 _Alright, breathe, Cat Noir,_ he told himself. _Try to think this through. You know you want Ladybug. And you were already falling for Marinette, no matter how much you might try to deny it—don't even try to deny it!_ Yeah, he couldn't deny it. Kissing her had been amazing. And even before then, he'd known she was an awesome girl.

So, what exactly was the problem here?

He blinked. _Was_ there a problem? All he needed to do was go down and reveal himself to Marinette and BAM! Happy Endings for everyone! Right? Right!

Except… Ladybug hadn't wanted them to reveal themselves. Never had. And he'd promised to respect her feelings on that matter. Plus, she had pushed him away as Cat Noir. He scowled. But he _was_ Cat Noir! _Adrien Agreste_ was the fucking mask! So sheltered, and obedient, and so… so _tame_! Why would she want that? Why would she even _like_ that? What was so wrong with Cat Noir, that made it okay to kiss him, but not…. He pulled on his hair harder, wanting to scream.

"Cat Noir?" Marinette's voice called. She must've heard him land. He looked down in time to see her open her hatch, coming up to join him.

Instantly, he felt his breath still, and his heart race. Ladybug. She was, most definitely, Ladybug. How had he not seen it before? How could he have been so blind? So stupid? And why… why couldn't she see the boy _she_ loved behind the mask? Was Cat Noir that repulsive to her? He felt his heart twist. She wanted Adrien. He could give her Adrien. He could transform right now and give her Adrien. The words were on the tip of his tongue. But… he wanted her to love the Cat in him too.

Suddenly, he realized she must be feeling the same way when she was Ladybug. Marinette was being pushed aside just as easily as Cat Noir was. What had she said? _'I want him to love me for me. Not just because I'm Ladybug._ ' She must see Ladybug as her mask, just as he saw Adrien as his. But he loved Ladybug….

 _Nooooo_ , his heart whined.

This wasn't right.

This couldn't work.

She claimed to love him, but did she really love _him_? He thought of himself as Cat Noir, not Adrien. Cat Noir was freedom, and power, and jokes, and adventure, and laughter, and everything he'd ever wanted in his life! But she'd rejected all of that. She had been willing to let him swing as Cat. Swing and miss and he never had a _chance_ ….

His eyes narrowed again. Why should he give her Adrien? She wasn't willing to give him Ladybug. She didn't even want him to know who she was as Ladybug! Why should he make this easy for her, when he'd had to go be a wretched mess in front of Ladybug, just so she could turn him down? And besides, she hadn't even… he bit back his growl and adopted a friendly smile.

"Hey, Princess. What's up? Did ya get to talk to Adrien?" he asked casually. She froze, blushing, and he nearly laughed. She hadn't. He knew she hadn't, despite several attempts. But he'd been successful at talking to Ladybug, so really, it was her move now.

 _And the part of him that was Adrien really wanted that confession, dammit._

"I tried," she groaned. "It's like the universe is against me or something!" He snickered. It really was. Maybe he should have some pity on her.

"Poor, poor cursed princess," he moaned, being intentionally melodramatic. She scowled at him and lightly hit his arm.

"Hey!"

"Maybe you need another kiss to break the spell?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, pulling her closer. Her breath caught, and he heard her heartbeat increase, but she didn't pull away. He smiled and leaned down, only to pull away at the last second, pretending to ponder. "Then again, I'm not your true love, so maybe it won't work." She huffed at him and pushed him away.

"Well, what about you? Did you get to talk to Ladybug?" she asked, not looking at him. He smirked, wanting so badly to tell her that he knew. He knew who she was. He knew she knew exactly what had happened. But not yet. Instead he puffed out his chest proudly.

"I did indeed!" he proclaimed happily. She looked up at him, no doubt surprised by his tone. "And she turned me down flat," he admitted, flopping against the railing and giving her a helpless shrug.

 _What, had she thought he'd lie about what happened? Was that how lowly she thought of him?_

She stared at him, biting her lip. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the sadness in her eyes. The guilt.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly. He raised an eyebrow at her. _Then you should've given me a different answer_ , he thought mockingly. "Did she give you a good reason why?" she asked, almost timidly.

He wanted to yell at her. She knew exactly what Ladybug had said! Why was she asking him, making him relive that embarrassing moment? Wasn't once enough for her? Did she—he halted that train of thought, looking at her carefully. The way she nervously played with her fingers and shot glances at him, but still tried to avoid eye contact. She was scared. Drawing away from him. Why? He played the question back in his head. _"Did she give you a good reason why?"_ She wasn't asking what Ladybug had said. She was asking if he was okay with it. If he was going to be alright with her decision. He took a deep breath.

If he hadn't found out she was Ladybug, would he still be mad at Marinette? _No_ , the answer was no of course. She was looking out for her friend. Wanting to make sure he was okay. A part of him relaxed.

Was he even mad at Ladybug? Really? He could understand her reasons, at least somewhat, even if he didn't agree with them. He shrugged and looked away.

"If it was good enough for her, it's good enough for me," he said finally. "No matter what the reason. It's her decision. Like you said, I don't own her or anything." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, to see her clench her fists and close her eyes, the pain visible on her face.

Then suddenly, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly and pressing her face into his chest. Even through his suit, he could feel the hot tears running down.

"You're _wonderful_ ," she choked out. "I want you to know that. And someday, you're going to find someone absolutely per-purrfect for you! And sh-she's going—going to give you everything! Everything you deserve! Everything you've ever wanted!" She broke down then, sobbing. He smiled at her lame attempt to pun her way out of the awkwardness and carefully wrapped his arms around her.

"Careful, princess," he warned her softly. "Or I might end up falling for you instead."

"D-D-Don't you d-d-d-dare!" Marinette cried, shaking her head. "N-not when I'm already such a mess! Not when I can't even—!" He couldn't take it anymore. He pushed her away just enough to pull her face up. Then he was kissing her deeply, both hands on her cheeks to brush her tears away as he tasted their saltiness on her lips. She kissed him back desperately for a moment before pulling away to take a shuddering breath.

"Stop," she whispered. He released her immediately, a bit surprised. She looked up at him sorrow, then hung her head. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I can't. I have…."

"You have someone else who holds your heart," he finished for her. She looked up at him guiltily. He didn't let her say anything else as he made the short hop up to the top of the railing he had been leaning against before. Then, he gave her a deep, chivalrous bow.

"As my lady wishes."

He smirked at her and winked. She went white, her eyes bugging out as she stared at him, open-mouthed. He pulled out of his bow and leapt off the balcony.

"Cat! Cat Noir, wait! Come back! CAT!"

* * *

End Chapter 6.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and am not affiliated with them in any way.  
**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 7**

He raced on, getting as much distance as he could. He couldn't help grinning when he heard the phone on his baton go off. She had transformed to try to find him. He ignored the call. Quickly, he dropped to the ground and started going a different direction. No doubt she would try to track him in a moment. Too bad for her it was a two-way communicator. He tracked her as well for the next few minutes, using it to stay away from her and enjoying this game of cat and mouse. He'd been chasing _her_ for so long….

They'd played games like this before on nights of slow patrols, and she'd always won. So, when she started getting a little too close, he didn't even try to outwit her further, he simply dropped his transformation and quickly blended into a crowd of tourists.

He nearly laughed when he caught a glimpse of Ladybug on a nearby roof, scanning the crowds desperately for her wayward partner. But the look on her face—pain, and panic and sheer desperation—wiped away all thoughts of continuing this game into the night. He wanted to go home now. Go home and collapse into bed and try not think of just how badly he'd fucked up everything good in his life. As soon as he got to another empty alleyway, however, Plagg shot up to face him.

"What was that?" the kwami yelled. "What were you thinking? Why didn't you talk to her?"

"I'm thinking I don't _want_ to talk to her just yet," Adrien said. "Not after everything that's happened."

"You _idiot_!" Plagg said, pulling at his whiskers in exasperation. "Do you have any idea what she must be thinking right now? How she must feel?"

"No!" Adrien yelled back. "I don't! And I don't care! She—she's been playing me this whole time! She let me humiliate myself in front of her today, knowing exactly what I would say and knowing… knowing she would never…." He trailed off, shaking in anger.

"Kid," Plagg said, "I'm a god of _destruction_. Believe me when I say _I know_ how much of a mess this is right now. But it's only gonna get worse if you don't talk to her. Please. Just call her and say something. Anything."

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the kwami. "Why do you care so much, anyway, Plagg? You've never been interested in my love life before. Well, except as entertainment," he added, rolling his eyes.

"Because Hawkmoth takes advantage of negative emotions, remember?" Plagg said. "I wouldn't be surprised if a little black butterfly came for you soon, the way you're feeling. And I don't know about you, but I do _NOT_ wanna be on the receiving end of that yo-yo if she decides she needs to take you down the hard way." Adrien looked away.

"I won't turn on her, Plagg," he promised quietly.

"Oh really?" Plagg asked, folding his arms in disbelief. "Then what were you planning on doing? Giving her the silent treatment? Not helping her with akumas anymore? Forcing _her_ to humiliate herself in front of _you_ so the score is even again? Is that what you want for your _lady_?" he hissed. Adrien winced as he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

"No, of course not."

"Then you'd better do something about it, quick, kid. I have seen too many Ladybugs and Cat Noirs turn on each other for this kind of thing!"

Adrien stared at his kwami for moment. "Plagg, don't you dare give me some bullshit about being soulmates or her being my otherworldly _destiny_ ," he hissed angrily. "Not after what I just went through!"

"Of course not!" Plagg groaned, rolling his eyes. "I've already told you, your stupid human-sex-life doesn't matter to me in the least! What I'm worried about is _you_! And your partner! Our partner! You think all Ladybugs and Cat Noirs get together and live happily ever after? Not a chance! More often than not, they can't even stand each other! They hate, and fight, and… it's not fun! It's not fun at all, kid." Plagg sagged a bit and flew closer, softening his voice.

"But you like this girl, Adrien. You have ever since you met her. She's been one of the best things to happen to you. Admit it! Your life is so much better now! You know it, and I know it, and I love to tease you about it because you two give me _hope_. You could be the best team we've seen in _ages_! It's all right there for you, Adrien. But not if you let it go on like this." He floated down to Adrien's hand, grabbed it and floated back up, dragging the hand to his wielder's face. "Please, kid. Just a phone call." Adrien stared at the ring for a moment, then at Plagg, who was attempting to wrap himself around it.

"It really gets that bad?"

"Destruction and bad luck, kid," Plagg reminded him mournfully. "We either lose, or we _really_ lose." Adrien winced. He couldn't imagine—didn't even want to imagine—using his Cataclysm on Ladybug. On Marinette. He clenched his fist.

"I don't know what to say to her," he admitted.

"Then just tell her you need some time to think everything through. She should be able to give you that, at least."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then she's not the Ladybug we know."

Adrien stalled for a moment, tracing his ring with his other hand.

"I'm terrified," he admitted softly.

"I know you are," Plagg sighed. "So just say the words or I'll bite you."

Adrien couldn't stop the surprised laugh that burst out of him. He sighed. He'd needed that. "Careful, Plagg," he said jokingly, "your inner softie is showing."

"I'm serious. _I will chew on your hair while you sleep_."

"All right, all right," Adrien rolled his eyes. "Plagg, claws out!"

The magic washed over him and Cat Noir took a deep breath. He looked behind him to see a non-descript wall. Good. Hopefully she wouldn't try to track him while they talked. And hopefully she would respect his wishes. He took out his baton and pushed the CALL button.

Her face appeared on the screen almost immediately. He winced to see the worry and panic on her face, not to mention her red, tear-filled eyes. Dammit. Even when she cried, she was still beautiful.

"Cat? Cat! Oh, thank God! Cat, I'm so sorry!" she babbled. "I'm sorry about everything! We need to talk! Please, Cat! Talk to me! Tell me where you are! I'll come to you!"

"I'm sorry, my lady," he said softly. "But no."

"No?" she exclaimed. "What do you mean, no? Cat Noir, we need to talk! Just—where are you?"

"My lady," he said calmly. "Please, stop. Stop looking for me. I don't want to talk right now. I want to think on my own for a while."

She gaped at him. He supposed he couldn't really blame her. He'd never really told her "no" before. Had never not wanted to see her. He leaned against the wall behind him, needing the support. He hadn't been lying to Plagg before. He really was terrified. Terrified he was going to say the wrong thing and she'd hate him forever. Terrified he'd say the right thing and—

"I need some time," he said carefully, closing his eyes and relying on the script Plagg had given him. "To figure out how I feel about you right now—"

"Cat, I don't think this is a good idea! Please, don't push me away," she begged. "We can figure this out together, I know we can!" As usual, her voice and conviction gave him strength. Made him believe that maybe…. But then, he made the mistake of looking at her again. Seeing her face made his stomach clench.

"I can't… I can't… _face you_ right now," he said, his throat tight. "Please. Just a little time. I'll figure it out, I promise." He gave her a small smile. "You still believe in me, don't you, princess?"

Tears spilled over on her cheeks and she furiously wiped them away.

"How long have you known?" she whispered shakily.

"Just today," he assured her. "After the akuma, and my… lame attempt at wooing you. I guess we both headed for the bakery." Her breath caught, and she closed her eyes.

"Cat, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't be," he interrupted her. "I told you before. You don't owe me anything. If you don't love me, you don't love me. It's as simple as that."

"But it's not!" she protested. "Cat, I _do_ love—!"

"Ladybug," he interrupted her again. "Please?"

She stared at him like she wanted to argue some more, but then closed her eyes and nodded.

"If that's what you need, Cat," Ladybug said softly. "You know where to find me."

She ended the call.

He allowed himself to slump against the wall. "I don't think that helped, Plagg," he muttered. "Claws in."

Plagg swooped out of the ring without his usual flair. "I'm sorry, kid," he mumbled. "I really thought I was helping."

Adrien sighed and headed for home, suddenly too tired to care anymore. He didn't dare look up to see if Ladybug was anywhere nearby. He wasn't sure how he felt, other than exposed and numb. God, how had everything gone so wrong?

"I think you did help a little bit," he finally offered his dejected kwami. "I can't even imagine what kind of a wreck I'd be right now if I hadn't found out." The fact that he'd immediately gone for the bakery after Ladybug's rejection had not been lost on him. Just friends? Yeah, right. He'd wanted comfort, and cuddles, and God-knows what else…. And he didn't even have the strength to deny it anymore. He'd been emotionally and physically cut off from contact for so long… now that he'd gotten a taste of that heat, of that passion; all he wanted was more.

His house came into sight and he stared at it. Cold, clinical, and full of… emptiness. All the good taste and expensive items in the world couldn't make that place feel like home. It was no wonder he'd leapt at the chance to be somewhere warm and welcoming. With someone who… he forced himself to stop that train of thought as he rang the doorbell.

No. It was better this way. No more what ifs, or lies, or skirting around the truth. Certainly no more visits were in his immediate future. He snorted as the gate opened. That thought shouldn't have been so depressing, considering how angry he was at her. But it was. He wanted to go back and talk to her. To hold her. To let her know everything was okay… even if it wasn't. It hurt too much right now. And he had no clue how to fix it.

"Adrien, you're home late," Natalie said as soon as he got inside. "You've missed a Chinese lesson, and your father is waiting for you in the dining room." Adrien sternly resisted the urge to groan as he headed over there.

"Adrien, your behavior these past few days has been completely unacceptable," his father said crisply. "You will write an apology to your tutor before bed tonight, in Mandarin, and I expect your grammar to be perfect."

 _If you think my grammar should be perfect, why am I still taking lessons?_ Adrien thought sullenly. "Yes, father," he answered out loud.

His father waited a few moments before his eyes narrowed. "Well? No apology?" he asked.

"Sorry, father," Adrien said immediately.

Gabriel Agreste didn't look mollified. "No supper for you tonight, I think. We need to correct this behavior."

All Adrien felt was relief. "Very well, father." _I'm not hungry anyway._ Now his father looked annoyed at his lack of response.

"Where were you?" he asked, suspiciously. Adrien paled, sure his face would give him away immediately. "You were with that girl, weren't you."

It wasn't a question. Adrien sighed. "Yes, father _." I was also running all over Paris, being chased by the love of my life, who may or may not have a good reason for wanting to string me up with her yo-yo. And not in the fun way._

"Did the flowers not work?" his father asked, frowning, studying his son's less-than-thrilled face.

"No, no, they were fine… um, thank you," Adrien said. His father raised an eyebrow. "I just… still managed to mess everything up, is all."

"How serious are you two?" Gabriel asked suspiciously.

"Not at all!" Adrien said quickly. He made the mistake of looking his father in the eye and quickly flushed, even as he cursed himself in his mind. _Dear Santa, for Christmas this year, I'd like a freaking poker face…._ "I mean it!" he insisted. "I don't think she even wants to be my friend anymore!"

"Why wouldn't she want that?" his father asked archly. "Just who is this girl? Is she stringing you along for your money?"

"She would never!" Adrien said fiercely. Of all the things he was concerned about with Marinette, that one was nowhere on his list. She'd probably kill him if he tried to use his money or family influence to help her in any way. She was going to make it on her own, that he was sure of. And with her talents, he was also certain she could do it. If she wanted him anywhere near her after all of this, it would be because she wanted _him_ , not his money.

"Then why won't you even give me her name?" Gabriel Agreste demanded.

"It's complicated." _And it involves alter-egos I can't tell you about._

"Is she pregnant already?"

"God, no!" Adrien exclaimed. "Father, I swear, we haven't…."

"Good," Gabriel said firmly. "Then we have time to nip this in the bud. Natalie, bring us the condoms and a few bananas from the kitchen, please."

Adrien stared at his father in horror as his assistant went to fetch the items. "You're joking. Please tell me you're joking," he pleaded.

"Not at all," his father said. "I have no sense of humor, as I have been told by several now-ex-employees. Since you refuse to give me her name, and have been sneaking around at all hours to visit this girl, I can only assume you must be much more serious about her than you will admit. Which means that this lesson is more than overdue. Sit."

His horror rising, Adrien did as he was told _. Oh God. Oh my God. Tell me this isn't happening. Karma, I am sorry for every mean thing I've ever done. I will make it right. Just no. Please, no…._

Natalie returned with the items in question and Adrien almost whimpered. _This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening._

"Thank you, Natalie. Now, as you continue to grow, Adrien, you will notice some changes in your body…."

Adrien couldn't stop the groan that escaped him as he banged his head on the table.

"Pay attention, young man," his father said sharply. "You'll thank me if you and your girlfriend ever decide to take things further."

 _Yeah, right,_ Adrien thought. _Considering how quickly I lost control, even wrapped up in a catsuit and unable to respond as much as I wanted to, if we went any further, I might just die._

"Would it help if I reminded you that I've already had this lecture?" he whined. "You hired that doctor, remember? I know what's happening in detail, thanks."

"Did you learn how to put a condom on?"

Adrien gulped. "He… um, explained it…."

"But he didn't actually show you?" Gabriel's phone went off and Natalie quickly answered it, moving to step out of the room. Adrien's father stopped her with a hand signal. "Is that, Louis?" She nodded and he muttered a low curse. "I'll take it. There's only one reason why he'd call so late." He gave Adrien an apologetic look (his son was trying not to break into cheers). "We'll have to continue this later. In the meantime, Natalie, please make sure my son can demonstrate how to correctly put a condom on a banana." He left the room with the phone, not noticing his son and assistant gaping after him.

"He… did he just…," Adrien stared.

"Yes," Natalie said through gritted teeth. Adrien looked at the woman sympathetically. No way was _this_ on the job description.

"We can just… wait here until he gets back," he offered meekly.

"That could take hours," Natalie said sharply. She swiftly stepped up to the table and ripped open the box of condoms. Adrien watched her with a growing sense of trepidation. Especially when she tore the first condom in two, right along with the packaging. Nearly snarling, she opened the next one a bit more carefully. However, when she grabbed the banana, she grabbed it too hard and it turned to mush in her hand. Adrien shrank back in his seat in alarm.

 _Note to self: angry women are terrifying. Never let them near your banana._

Natalie took a deep, calming breath, wiped off her hand, and grabbed another banana (much more gently this time). However, it quickly became apparent that she was not quite as calm as she appeared (or she had no clue how to do this herself), because she wrestled with the two items for a while as the condom kept slipping off the end, the banana becoming more and more bruised with each attempt.

 _It was like watching a train wreck,_ Adrien thought dazedly. _You can't look away…._

"Stop, stop, please, for the love of bananas!" he finally said. "I just have to show you I can do it, right?" He quickly grabbed a condom and banana of his own. Natalie looked relieved, even if she tried to hide it behind her professional mask. He opened the package easily, and quickly rolled the stupid thing onto the banana, eager to get this over with. Too eager, it turned out, as he ripped the condom.

"Oops," he said, taking it off and trying again with another one. It ripped again and he barely stopped himself from swearing.

"Congratulations," Natalie said dryly after the third one ripped. "You'll be a father in nine months."

He shot her a glare, just before the next one also tore. "Oh look, twins," he said sarcastically, tossing the stupid banana on the table in frustration.

"At this point, I believe you're looking at a litter."

Adrien covered his face as he silently laughed. Oh, she had no idea how close to the truth that was… He surreptitiously smacked his jacket to shut his laughing kwami up. Maybe it was a good thing Cat wouldn't be visiting Marinette anytime soon. Forget all the mechanics of getting the damn suit off, _this_ was going to be impossible with claws.

Just then, his father entered the room again, his phone call apparently mercifully shorter than anticipated.

"Well, how is it going?" he asked.

"We may need more condoms," Natalie said with a straight face.

"And bananas," Adrien added. He grinned when her eye twitched.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Gabriel said, rolling his eyes. He stepped up to the table as easily opened a condom, rolling it onto a banana with ease. "There, you see? It's not that hard, you two."

"Very well done, sir," Natalie said tonelessly. "With your skills, it's a wonder you have children at all." With that, she turned on her heel and exited the room.

Adrien burst out laughing. "You deserved that," he told his father.

* * *

End Chapter 7.

 _A/N: Sorry about that last scene. We were getting a little too much drama for my taste._


	8. Chapter 8

**Standard disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and am not affiliated with them in anyway.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 8**

"Adrien, can I talk to you?"

Adrien turned, looking at Marinette in surprise. He'd just been getting into his car after school. She'd been quiet all day today; withdrawn and pensive. He'd caught her chewing on her bottom lip more than he'd seen her talking to anyone. And considering everything that had happened, he'd honestly expected it to continue for a few more days before she tried to talk to him. He frowned at her. Maybe Cat Noir didn't mean as much to her as she'd claimed. She'd sure gotten over him quick.

"I kinda have a quick photoshoot in a couple of minutes," he said. _Which you should know about_ , he added in his head. She blushed.

"I won't take long, promise," she said softly. He caught himself raising his eyebrow as he recognized his own words to Ladybug. Well, their positions were definitely reversed now, but… _"Is that what you want for your_ _ **lady**_ _?"_ Plagg's hiss came back to him. He closed his eyes. This wasn't what he wanted. He still didn't know exactly what he wanted, but it wasn't this. Not a confession that was sure to just make things worse between them. He wanted more time.

But, maybe what he _needed_ was more time _with her_.

"Actually," he said, getting an idea, "why don't you come with me?" She squeaked at him in alarm. "It won't take long," he said, trying not to laugh at her wide eyes. "And I have a couple free hours afterwards. Oh, and I just got that new extension pack for Ultimate Mecha Strike III! You should see some of the new graphics!"

"Really?" she looked delighted. He smiled at her.

"Absolutely," he said. They'd promised to stay friends before. What better way…? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bunch of kids from their class watching them from the stairs, including Nino and Kim. Kim was making kissy faces, and Nino was grinning broadly and giving him a thumbs-up. The other guys were snickering behind their hands. "Come on, let's go." He quickly guided Marinette into his limo before she could see them.

Then he childishly stuck his tongue out at them as he got in after her. As his driver pulled away, he looked out the window to see the whole group laughing; Kim actually doubled over, and Nino pounding the stairs beneath him in hilarity.

 _Oh, he was never gonna hear the end of this…._

"Is something wrong?" Marinette asked beside him. He jumped.

"No, no, it's nothing," he said, smiling innocently. "You like fashion, right?"

"Oh, _yes_ ," she said, her eyes lighting up. "Your father's work is _inspirational_!" He covered his mouth to hide his laugh at the stars in her eyes. Was she really a fangirl for him or his father? _Ugh, what a thought that was_. "And, of course, you're amazing of the face! I mean—the line of the amazing! I mean—ugh! The. Face. Of. The. Amazing. Line." She enunciated carefully, then looked ready to sink into her seat and disappear.

"Thanks," he said lightly, smiling at her antics. "I'm sure my father will be happy to hear he has a fan," he added, intentionally misunderstanding. She looked at him in alarm.

"No, what I meant was, that you…," she groaned, hanging her head. "You know what, never mind. Are you… um, sure he won't mind if I come along?"

"Nah," he said. "He probably won't even be there. Just stay out of everybody's way and nobody will say anything. It's just a few extra poses for some up-and-coming intern of his. Shouldn't take long."

They lapsed into silence after that. She was obviously still nervous about talking to him, and he didn't want to prompt any of the real conversation she wanted to have. He wasn't ready. Honestly, he didn't think either of them were ready. He wished she could be as comfortable around him as she was with Cat Noir. He really did want to be friends with her. Hopefully, this upcoming conversation wouldn't be too awkward and they could still have fun afterwards.

Then, before he could start to talk about something inane, like the weather or something, they arrived at the photoshoot.

"Only one outfit for you today, Adrien," Natalie said, meeting him as he got out of car. "It should be relatively—oh, who's this?" Marinette had followed him out, looking at the models and clothes around them with awe.

"Natalie, this is Marinette," Adrien said, pulling her forward before she could try to blend into the background. "You might remember her, she won Father's contest for the derby hat last year." Marinette smiled awkwardly and waved.

Natalie blinked. "Of course," she said. She looked at Adrien and raised an eyebrow. He paled and quickly shook his head, making sure Marinette couldn't see him. _Please, don't ask her about the flowers._ _Please, don't ask her about the flowers,_ he begged Natalie silently. She'd completely give him away! He was _not_ ready for Marinette to know who he was yet! Fortunately, he saw understanding flash across Natalie's face. "Well, as long as you remain out of the way, Marinette, there should be no problems. I take it she'll be going home with you later, Adrien?"

 _Dammit_ , Adrien thought as both he and Marinette blushed bright red. _You just had to say it like that_.

"Uh, y-yeah," he stammered. "We're going to go play games! Err, _video_ games!" He thought he saw Natalie's mouth twitch in a smile.

"All right, then," she said. "I hope you've informed your parents as to where you are, Marinette. Adrien, this way to wardrobe." Adrien followed her meekly, and he saw Marinette pull out her phone and start texting, undoubtedly taking Natalie's advice. He brightened when he saw the outfit. The look on Marinette's face when she saw him in this would make his earlier embarrassment today totally worth it! He slipped into it easily, marveling at the three-quarter sleeves of the shirt still being light and airy enough to be comfortable in this heat. The top was a deep, wine red, in a loose style that reminded him of a pirate, or a rogue. And the tight black pants only emphasized that look. Adrien grinned.

He hoped she started drooling.

He exited the dressing area with a flourish, grinning wider when her jaw dropped at the sight of him. He couldn't resist doing a quick turn for her. "So, whatcha think?" he asked saucily. To his surprise, when he turned back towards her, her face had shifted from delighted disbelief to an inquisitive frown.

"Is the collar supposed to—?"

"Adrien!"

"Coming!" he called back, giving Marinette a sheepish smile and heading over to where Natalie waited with Vincent and the young woman who must be the intern designer. Judging by the set (a large, tall log that looked like a mast), he'd been right about his initial impressions of the costume. He grimaced, wondering how this had gotten through his father, who usually hated fantasy scenes. Especially with his teenage son as the male lead. Hair and makeup did the bare necessities on him, as usual. Then he leaned against the mast as directed, Vincent frowning a bit as he raised his camera….

"No, no, no, stop!" his father's voice ordered, sounding like he'd just gotten there. Adrien couldn't see the man through the lights, but he recognized the tone and winced in sympathy for the intern about to be torn apart. "Are you a complete idiot?" Gabriel Agreste raged. "He's a fifteen-year-old boy! That fabric is practically see-through and you've got him posing like the cover of some trashy romance novel!"

 _But it's nice and lightweight_ , Adrien thought, arguing for the poor woman in his head. Great. Instead of gaming this afternoon, he and Marinette were probably going to have to save his father from another akuma. _And I'm_ _ **sixteen**_ _, Dad. Thanks for proving you completely forgot about yet another birthday last week. Luckily Nino and Alya were able to turn a study session into a small party, and Marinette brought cupcakes. And—Whoa! Speaking of Marinette!_

Marinette was in front of him, quickly messing with his collar and sleeves and slipping something just inside his shirt so no one could see it. A lining—?

"I won't have it, I say—," his father was saying.

"Marinette, what are you doing?" Adrien hissed at her. She was going to get herself kicked out of here!

"Trust me," she whispered back. Then she stepped away, just as his father noticed her.

"Excuse me, young lady, but what do you think you're doing?" he asked sharply.

"Sorry," she said, getting out of the way entirely. "Last minute fixes. He's ready now!"

"A la!" Vincent cried, lighting up and grabbing his camera. "Ze shirt looks much better now! See, Gabriel? No see-thru! Keep with ze blushing, mi boy!" The photographer quickly snapped a few photos. Adrien hadn't even realized he was blushing until then. Vincent showed his father the previews, and to his surprise, Adrien heard him hum in approval. He ordered a few more changes, of course, including bringing down the lights a bit. Adrien was thankful, because not only were they hot, even with his lightweight shirt, but now he could see better, including Marinette chatting animatedly with the intern designer who looked ready to faint from relief.

He smirked. Ladybug saves the day again. Even out of costume.

"Yes! YES!" Vincent squealed, snapping more shots of him. "You are a suave, debonair pirate! A rogue who sweeps ze ladies off zair feet!"

"Vincent," Gabriel Agreste called warningly.

"Oh, poo, Monsieur Agreste, you cannot keep him a boy forever! Lookit him! He is young, and in love! Can ve bring ze girl up here?" Vincent called to the crew.

"Oh, no, no, no," Marinette said, her face beet red, "Adrien and I are just friends—!"

"No couple shots in that outfit," Adrien's father said firmly. And that was that. Vincent pouted a bit, but didn't push it anymore. Instead, he winked at Adrien and took a couple more shots. Adrien tried not to notice his father studying Marinette more than the pictures currently being taken. "I think that's enough for now," Gabriel said, turning to go.

Vincent looked to see if his father was out of hearing range, then turned back to Adrien and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Un more, 'drien," he said conspiratorially. "I vant you give me all of your passion. For ze lady, no?" He winked.

Adrien grinned, allowing his inner Cat Noir to shine through for a moment. If Vincent meant what Adrien thought he meant, then his father would never see this last photo, but Marinette would probably receive a nice print for her wall. He wanted it to be good. So, he leaned back against his "mast," tilted his head back suggestively, and did what he'd always been told not to do by his stylists; he ran both hands deeply through his hair, and left them there while he gave the camera his best Cat Noir smirk.

Vincent snapped the picture and gave a loud fanboy squeal, which turned into a totally-unbelievable cough. Adrien quickly dropped his pose as his father turned back towards them, looking at the man innocently as he came off the set. His father raised an eyebrow and continued on his way. Vincent gave him a discreet high five as he passed.

Marinette was still beet red when he walked up to her. He winked at her and put his finger to his lips.

"I still can't believe you did that," Marinette muttered later, once he had changed and they were back in the car. Adrien laughed. _I can't believe you're still red_ , he thought.

"I couldn't let all of your hard work go to waste," he teased.

"Oh p-please, I just fixed a few last-minute things," she stammered nervously, blushing even deeper red.

"Let's be serious here, Marinette. You probably saved that poor girl's job today," he said softly.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

He shrugged. "The fashion world is cutthroat sometimes," he said, looking out the window. "Especially my father. He's not known for forgiving mistakes."

"I'll have to remember that," Marinette said quietly.

"Oh, don't worry," Adrien said, giving her a smile. "If you're able to think on your feet like you did today, I'm sure you'll do just fine." She smiled back at him and looked out her own window, chewing on her lip again.

Now that they were alone, Adrien allowed himself a moment to just look at her. His clutzy, slightly-scatterbrained-but-still-completely-adorable classmate was one in the same as the gorgeous, powerful Ladybug who could save a city with a flick of her wrist. It fit, somehow. And thinking about it now, he wouldn't have it any other way. She caught him staring at her and he quickly looked out his own window, feigning innocence as she did the same.

He still didn't know what he was going to tell her, honestly. Not even after he'd stayed up late to try to work this problem out. (He'd made the mistake of watching some of the old videos of Ladybug and Cat Noir on the Ladyblog, and come to the horrified conclusion that there may be another reason why they weren't supposed to know each other's identities. His heart had been in his throat the whole time, even from some of their simpler maneuvers. Seeing _Ladybug_ jumping from rooftop to rooftop was one thing; knowing it was _Marinette_ who was throwing herself off a building…. Oh, he was not looking forward to the next akuma battle. He might have a heart attack.)

One thing was certain; he still loved her, he knew that was true now for both halves of her. And he didn't want to just let her go. But he didn't know if she would love _him_ the way he wanted her to. Did she just want Adrien? Why? What was it about Adrien that made him better than Cat Noir? That was the part he couldn't figure out. Maybe she was just stubborn, and holding onto a dream? That… kinda fit her personality, right?

But he wanted to love her as both Cat Noir and Adrien. Which was hard when she didn't want to know that the two boys were one-and-the-same. And how could he love her as Cat if all she wanted was Adrien?

No. He had to tell her. That was the one thing he was sure of. It was going to completely tear him apart if she rejected part of him while pining for the other. Besides, he knew himself well enough to know that _Adrien_ was never gonna be able to make a move on her, even if _she_ asked _him_ out. And he _really_ wanted to taste that passion she'd had with Cat again.

He had originally intended to reject her as Adrien, just as she had rejected him as Cat Noir. That left him free and clear to let Cat be with Marinette. Unfortunately, he'd realized later that revealing he knew she was Ladybug was going to put a major crimp in that plan. Or any plan. Today in class had been torture enough, trying to talk to her normally and not let on how much he knew about her. He'd had to settle for avoiding her whenever he could. And _that,_ he knew he didn't want to have to do ever again!

Besides, if he pursued her just as Cat Noir, he couldn't take her on dates, or text her late at night, or flirt with her during school, or really spend half as much time with her as he wanted to!

And honestly, since he wanted all of her, it was only fair that she get all of him too, right?

It was just… the possibilities of her reaction to this news….

He took a deep breath as they came to a stop at his house. _Please, please_ , he silently begged any friendly higher powers that might be listening, _whatever else happens,_ _don't let her hate me after all of this is over_.

Maybe she'd chicken out of her own confession and they could just have a friendly, not-awkward gaming session together?

But even as he thought it, he knew he didn't want that either. The tossing and turning, the furious what-ifs, Plagg suggesting he cool down before he got a little fluttering visitor… he didn't think he could take that again tonight.

No, they had to clear the air somehow. He led her to his room with a smile, but inside he was forcing himself to breathe. _Just tell her,_ he told himself. _Just tell her the truth and this will all be over with._

 _Stop being an idiot. You should've done this yesterday, but you let your stupid pride get in the way._

 _She's going to hate me_ , another voice screamed. _She told me_ _ **not**_ _to reveal myself and I'm about to do it._

 _That was before I found out_ _ **her**_ _secret identity!_ He argued.

 _At least I know she loves me_ , one voice pointed out. _My death will hopefully be swift and painless_.

As he dropped his bag off in its usual spot, he noticed that her back was turned towards him and she was clenching her fists at her side. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but stopped. No, if she needed more time, he would give it to her. He'd asked it of her, so….

"Adrien?" her voice was strong, even though she was shaking.

"Yes?"

 _Oh God, here we go._

* * *

End Chapter 8.


	9. Chapter 9

**Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and I am not affiliated with them in any way.**

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 9**

"Adrien, I…, uh," she turned to face him and went white. "I… I-I-I-I'VE NEVER BEEN IN YOUR ROOM BEFORE! IT'S SO BIG!"

He couldn't stop the small laugh that burst out of him. "Uh, thanks?" he said, smiling at her now-red face as she examined his room with mock-enthusiasm. _She'd been here before,_ he wanted to laugh, _but it was as Ladybug_. And even with all the stuff in his room, she quickly ran out of things to exclaim over and looked at him again. His breath caught as he saw it: the fear, no, _terror_ in her eyes. And suddenly, the pieces of his heart came together with understanding and the simple, overpowering need to protect her.

 _Oh, princess. My lady, you should never have to fear me._

She was feeling the same way he did. She loved him, for whatever reasons she had, but didn't know if he would love her back. It was _terrifying_. She thought he might hate her. That their friendship would forever be broken by what she was about to do. But she had to do it. Because then all the waiting and what-ifs would be gone, at least. And he knew from experience just how hard that was to bear.

He should break this tension with a joke. A suggestion, maybe, that they go ahead and play their video game; putting all of this off until some other time. But, he wanted—he closed his eyes as he realized Plagg was once again right. They were making this _way_ more complicated than it had to be.

The simple truth of it? _He loved her._

And that was all he needed.

Not some stupid confession babbled at him because she thought she had to do it, even if she knew she was probably gonna get rejected just as badly as Cat Noir had been. She still thought Adrien had a secret love, after all. She just didn't know it was _her_.

"A-A-Adrien, I do-don't kn-kn-know how to t-t-t-tell you this, but I, um… I k-k-kinda…. Oh geez, why is this so hard?" she stuttered and shouted, pulling at her hair. He smiled. He'd been _there_ last night.

"Marinette—"

"I don't even know what to tell you anymore!" she cried. "There's you and then there's this other guy," he perked up, (Cat's back in the game?) "and it's driving me crazy and my head's all twisted around now and I can't make sense of _anything_ and I'm so, so sorry; I must not be making any sense to _you_ now and—!"

"Marinette," he called, a little louder. "It's okay."

She stopped in her tirade to stare at him with wide eyes. He smiled at her.

"You don't have to tell me anything."

She gaped at him for a few moments and he saw the confusion on her face. He continued smiling as he tried to think of a clever way to tell her. But…. _She was so cute._ Just watching her expressions was hilarious. Confusion, and then she narrowed her eyes as something occurred to her. His smile widened. _Had she figured him out? Was it really going to be that simple?_

Then her mouth dropped open and she stared at him in horror.

"He _told_ you!" she whisper-screamed. "Oh, I am going to kill that Cat…!"

He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.

"I s-swear, Adrien, I was going to tell you myself! I just couldn't ever get the nerve, or the chance, and then _he_ …!" she moaned, hiding her head in her hands. "He's dead. He's so dead. I'm going to skin him and hang him by his tail on the Eiffel Tower—!"

"Please don't, my lady!" he laughed, unable to bear it anymore.

She froze.

After a few seconds, her eyes were the first thing to move, darting up to meet his own, still wide and disbelieving. They trailed the lines of his face, up to his hair, then down to his chest before snapping back up to his eyes again. Shock, was most of what he saw. Recognition and denial. Terror and fear, of course, and little bit of hope…. Her mouth moved like she wanted to say something, but no words came out. He smiled again, remembering what it felt like to first find out, and gently raised his hand to brush against her cheek.

"Breathe, Marinette," he reminded her. The last thing he needed was to try to explain to Natalie why his "girlfriend" was passed out on the floor. She took a startled, shaky breath; her trembling hand coming up to cover his own as she looked into his eyes again.

"Cat?" she croaked. He nodded. She paled further, looking him up and down, and then shook her head in solid disbelief. "Noooo, no, no, no, no, no…." She was starting to look a little green.

"Here," he said, coming closer and guiding her to the edge of his bed by the small of her back. He sat her down. If she was going to faint, he wanted her to at least be comfortable. And she was shaking.

Then… well, the part of him that was Cat Noir wanted to hold, and cuddle, and nuzzle her until she felt better. But the part of him that was Adrien knew he needed to give her some space. Conflicted, he sat on the bed, paused for a moment, then scooted away.

He had needed time. If she needed space, he had to give it to her. Cat couldn't be in control all the time.

"Please don't hate me," he said quietly. "I know I deserve it; I've been a grade 'A' jerk and you have every right to hate me forever, but I've been trying to figure out what I should do ever since I found out. And I know you didn't want to know… but I just couldn't take it anymore. So, I'm sorry I couldn't even keep that stupid, simple promise to you. I overheard you on accident… no, I can't even claim that. I could've come out and told you I was there before you actually revealed yourself, but I decided to eavesdrop instead, and I'm sorry about that too… I haven't really been thinking clearly these past few days. I guess I didn't expect you to try to talk to me yet…." He stopped as she drew a shaky breath.

"I shouldn't be here," she said. He looked over to see her frowning, her eyes narrowed. "I should not _be_ here." He felt his stomach plummet when she stood up. _So, that was it, then? The end of everything?_ Despair washed over him as she crossed in front of him to leave. Before he could realize what he was doing, he shot off the bed and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her to a stop.

"I'm sorry," he whispered shakily, breathing in the scent of her hair, memorizing the way she felt in his arms… (if this was the last time he got to hold her, please, please, let him remember it), "I'm sorry about everything. And… I love you, Marinette. All of you. Whatever else happens, I just want you to know that."

He was just about to let her go when she reached up and clutched the arm he had around her shoulders.

"You—Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she choked out, her voice still trembling. "You _stupid_ cat. I thought you were gonna get akumatized or—"

"I would _never_ raise a claw to my lady," he murmured into her hair. She whirled around in his arms, her eyes bright and her lip trembling as she fought to stay angry with him.

"You—! I—! … _Adrien_ …," she wilted, overwhelmed, clutching his collar as she buried her face in his chest as if she couldn't bear to look at him. He blinked at her. Huh, well, it was nice to know he could stop an argument with just his pretty face.

"I'm really sorry," he offered.

She shook her head. "I shouldn't—you shouldn't—we shouldn't even _know_ , Adrien!" she said, fumbling over her words.

"It's a bit late for that," he reminded her.

Her face crumpled again, then he saw a look of surprise on her face and she glanced down at the purse she always wore.

"Tikki, what is—?"

To Adrien's surprise, a small, red streak flew out of her purse and into his face. It was a kwami. Adrien blinked. Of course. Ladybug's kwami.

"Where _is_ he?" she (it had to be a she) demanded, her hands on her hips and looking very angry. "If you overheard us yesterday, then he intentionally hid his presence from me, so you—PLAGG!" She dove at his shirt, where Plagg had been attempting to discreetly escape from. Adrien suddenly found his shirt the scene of an impromptu wresting match between the two miniature gods. Plagg finally got away and took refuge in Adrien's hair.

"Hi, Tikki!" he said innocently. "Nice to see you again, after so long…."

"Don't you 'Hi, Tikki' me!" the little red kwami growled. "You did it _again_! After I specifically—!"

"Yeah, and you're welcome!" Plagg interrupted her. "Geez, Tikki, if we waited until _you_ wanted—!"

"You _know_ why I wanted—!"

"Yeah, so they're old enough to fall into bed together and live happily ever after!" Plagg shouted. "Have you even been paying _attention_ these past few of days?"

"Obviously not as much as you, you voyeur!"

"I can't help it when he's in the suit!"

"Oh my God, Tikki, _stop_ ," Marinette gasped in horror, burying her face in her hands.

"Plagg, please shut up," Adrien added, facepalming. He was pretty sure they were both the same shade of bright red.

"Sorry, Marinette," Tikki said, giggling a bit in embarrassment. Plagg, however, just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, _please_. We all know she liked it," he drawled, wiggling his eyebrows. "No lady can resist the _ears_ …"

"Uh, Plagg and I are going to go have a talk _over here_ ," Tikki said quickly, pulling her counterpart away from the two furiously-blushing teens. "So, you two just… um, yeah." With that, the two kwamis zipped off to a far corner in Adrien's room.

"Ugh, please excuse me while I die of embarrassment," Marinette groaned, sinking down to sit on the edge of Adrien's bed.

"Only if I can join you," Adrien said, shaking his head and sitting next to her, careful to maintain some space. The last thing he wanted was for her to try and run off again.

They didn't say anything for a few moments; Marinette needing time to process of this new information, and Adrien not daring to break the silence. Then she looked over at him, studying his face again before turning away with a small laugh.

"I feel like I should've known," she muttered.

"Tell me about it," Adrien agreed. How many times had he assured himself he'd know who his lady was, even without her spots? And here she'd been in front of him the whole time. Well, behind him. Whatever. He flopped down on his back and covered his eyes. "I feel like we should get awards for the 'Two Most Oblivious People Ever' or something."

She giggled softly and he smiled. It was much easier to talk to her without looking at her, he was discovering. Whenever he saw her face, he kept getting all tongue-tied and wondering just what he should say. Who should he be? Cat Noir or Adrien? But, at the same time, he wanted to keep staring at her, memorizing her face. It was so frustrating.

"It's really you, isn't it?" she said softly, her voice full of wonder.

He couldn't resist. "In purr-son."

"Oh no," Marinette groaned.

"What? Am I that a-paw-ling?"

"Oh my God."

"Am I bugging you?"

"I'm out."

"Nooo, waaaaiitt," he laughed, lunging after her and pulling her back down with him on his bed. "I'll stop. I'll stop. I purr-omise!" She squirmed in his arms, turning enough to glare at him. He grinned innocently. "Sorry."

Marinette sighed and rolled her eyes. "No, you're not."

His grin could only increase. She knew him so well.

"I'll tone it down?" he tried, releasing her. "A bit?" _Maybe for like five minutes… cat puns were an art form!_ She shook her head.

"Cat…." But then she paused and looked at him, before sitting up and turning her back on him with a huff. "Ugh, I don't even know what to call you anymore!" she yelled in frustration.

He followed her up. "I'm good with either," he offered. "I tend to think of myself as Cat Noir more than Adrien most days," he admitted. "Cat is… everything I've ever really wanted. Freedom, and power, and jokes, and fun, and… everything Adrien isn't," he finished, grimacing.

"I think you're fun," Marinette said quietly.

He smiled at her. "Well, that makes one of us. I still can't figure out why. Especially when you know someone like Cat."

"Cat is a mask, Adrien!" she exclaimed. "You're—"

" _Adrien_ is the mask," he corrected her. "Shaped and molded to be the perfect little angel-child my father wants." She stared at him, open-mouthed and he looked away. "I was already close to cracking that mask when I got my ring," he confessed. "And I wouldn't be able to keep it up at all if I didn't have Cat Noir to escape to whenever I couldn't take it anymore. I think that's why it hurt so much when I realized you rejected Cat so you could be with Adrien." He rubbed his face with his hand and looked up at her guiltily to see she'd gone white.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know," he said quickly. "But I figured I should tell you. The Adrien you're in love with; it's not really me. Not the real me. He's just my mask. Like your Ladybug," he added, laughing a bit and looking at the ceiling in frustration. "God, we're a pair, aren't we? You fell in love with my mask, I fell in love with yours, but in the end, it was our true selves who managed to get together—

"Not that I'm expecting anything like that!" he said quickly, looking back at her again. He suddenly realized she'd gotten much closer to him and he flushed. "I-I m-m-mean, if-if you w-want to—"

"Cat," she drawled, in a very-Ladybug-like tone, "please, stop talking."

Then she kissed him.

* * *

End Chapter 9.


	10. Chapter 10

**Not-so-standard disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Joy for them, sad for me. No sue. No money for you.**

If you are allergic to fluff, don't like kissy scenes, or still believe girls have cooties, this may not be the chapter for you. In fact, how did you even get here? For the rest of you, yes, I will be keeping to the "T" rating in this fic. No lemons for you here. Sorry?

* * *

 **Prelude**

 **Chapter 10**

It was a quick kiss. Simple and chaste, but they were both blushing when she pulled away again. Adrien licked his lips and, before he could back out like the coward he knew he was, he leaned forward and cupped her face with both hands, pulling her closer as he gently pressed his lips against hers again. He groaned when she gave a small laugh and kissed him back. Kissing Marinette was like coming home. His heart leapt; the pain he'd been enduring in his chest for so long evaporating at her touch. The soft familiarity of her lips. The warmth of her breath and the sweet, sweet scent of her.

She pulled away, looking up at him shyly. Then, to his absolute delight, she bit her lip uncertainly, took a deep breath, and climbed into his lap. _Yesyesyesyesyes!_ his mind screamed as she straddled him. She looked at him nervously, and he knew her well enough to know she was screaming inside.

 _Is this all right?_ She seemed to ask with her eyes. He quickly put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer, hoping to let her know that yes, she was very, very welcome here. She gave another soft giggle, before leaning forward and giving him another quick kiss. Followed by another. And another, this one longer and lingering. She seemed to relax more and more with each one, but he didn't dare try to push any further. Not until—she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently carded her hands through his hair, like she had with Cat. He kissed her back helplessly. That was it. He was a goner. Completely hers…. She gave a soft whine and tugged him closer.

And finally, _finally_ , he could wrap her in his arms and pull her fully against him, feeling the softness of her body that he hadn't been able to in the catsuit. He moaned in bliss, further delighted when she took full advantage of it and deepened the kiss. Her mouth moved eagerly over his, new and familiar all at the same time. Her hands continued to touch his face and rake through his hair, and oh, did it feel good. He let her explore, content to play at her pace as he memorized her body with his hands.

Unlike before, this was no sudden, raging fire that made him want to take everything he could before it was pulled away from him. This was a slow, deep burn that spread through his body at an almost-lazy pace and threatened to consume him completely. They were discovering _each other_ , not just the passion between them. Not that there wasn't passion, oh no. Especially the way she nipped at his lips and drew away, just enough that he had to chase her, only to meet him halfway with that hot mouth of hers, igniting his desire further. And the way she moved against his hands as he touched her, groaning...

 _Oh God. Oh God, he'd died and gone to heaven._

 _How did men resist the urge to jump their girlfriends in public, knowing how good they felt in their arms? Hell, how was he going to ever concentrate in class again, knowing she was right there?_

"Adrien?" Natalie called, knocking on his door before opening it.

 _Oh, shit!_ He and Marinette wrenched themselves apart, panting and flushed, just as his father's assistant came around the corner to his bed. She didn't even bat an eye.

"My apologies. Your father sent me to tell you that something has come up at work and he won't be able to make it for dinner tonight. You're on your own," she said, as calm as ever.

"Oh, uh, ok," Adrien said shakily. "Thanks, Natalie."

She nodded at him and turned to leave.

"Oh, and your supplies are on your bathroom shelf," she added.

 _Oh my God._

" _Thank you_ , Natalie," he growled. She took the hint and left, locking the door behind her. He buried his face in his hands.

"Supplies?" Marinette asked curiously. He winced. This was gonna require an explanation if he didn't want to sound like a creep.

"You know… um, those flowers I got you before?" he asked. She nodded. "I kinda… got them from my father when he found out I made a girl cry. But then he totally misunderstood and thought you were my girlfriend and that we were more serious than I would tell him and he… had Natalie buy… other stuff too and…." Ugh. Oh God, he couldn't. He couldn't say the words with her looking at him all innocent, but with mused hair and bruised lips and… her eyes widened as she suddenly understood what he meant.

"Oh! Oh, _those_ kind of supplies," she said, blushing again.

He laughed awkwardly. "What did you think she was talking about?"

"I dunno! Something to do with dinner? I was trying to figure out why it'd be in your bathroom!" she exclaimed.

He lay down on his bed again, chuckling helplessly. "Nope. I got the whole embarrassing Talk again. Natalie even tried to demonstrate how to put a condom on a banana." He covered his face with a pillow to hide the fact that his blush had now spread to his ears. "My father does not _pay_ that woman enough for the stuff she puts up with." Marinette started giggling above him.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked incredulously, removing the pillow to glare at her. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Hey, you should feel sorry for me! It was totally embarrassing!"

To his surprise, she only laughed harder. "Oh, I have got you _beat_ in the Embarrassing Sex Talk category, Adrien," she said, her eyes full of mirth. She gave him a smirk from where she sat beside him. "Some _stupid cat_ went and bit my neck the other day," (he coughed, covering up a laugh,) "and I accidentally went downstairs without covering it up first. My dad saw it!" (Adrien bit his lip to stop from laughing,) "And when I wouldn't tell him who gave it to me," (She gave him a pointed look and he covered his mouth with both his hands, trying desperately not to burst,) "I got the whole nine yards! Where babies come from. Safe sex. Different techniques! And he used _bread puns_!"

Adrien lost it, howling in laughter as he pounded the bed beneath him helplessly. _Oh, Marinette's father_ , he thought. _If you don't kill me first, I think we're going to be great, great friends!_

"You win," he finally said, waving his hand in defeat. "I can't top that." He snickered. "When a croissant and a bagel love each other very much…."

"Oh my God, noooo," she moaned, shoving him. But she was soon laughing as hard as he was.

It took a while for them to calm down after that. Usually just a glance at the other person would set them laughing again. But, finally, the hilarity wore off and they just lay there on his bed together as their breathing returned to normal. Then he got an idea. He rolled over so he was almost above her.

"Can I see it?" he asked shyly. She gave him a confused look and he gestured to the scarf around her neck. "Your neck, can I see it?"

She realized what he was talking about and quickly moved away from him, sitting up and glaring at him. "Oh, no, you don't—"

He sat up too and gave her his best puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"

She caved at the sight of him begging and sighed, reaching up to loosen her scarf. "You'd better not add to it," she warned him.

"I didn't hear you complaining when I—"

"I mean it, buster," she growled, poking him in the chest. "Alya's already getting suspicious."

"Fine, fine," he agreed, reaching up to help her remove the scarf. There it was. He bit his lip in pride. It was already yellowing and faded around the edges, but it was quite magnificent, if he did say so himself. If any other man had seen this on her, he'd _know_ she was taken. Claimed.

 _Mine_.

Possessiveness tore through him. He dipped his head towards her, lightly brushing it with his lips, and felt her breath catch.

"Adri-en," she said in a warning tone that wavered uncertainly.

"Not adding to it," he said innocently, kissing it gently again. He felt her tremble. "Does it hurt?"

"N-no," her voice cracked. He smiled and moved over to the other side of her neck.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want a matching one—?"

"Don't you dare!" she hissed, pushing him away.

"Sorry, sorry," he laughed and gave up easily. He deserved that. He swiftly caught her hand before she could pull it back, kissing her palm. "I'm at your mercy, my lady," he murmured, looking up at her. She seemed mesmerized by his eyes. Then she visibly shook herself out of it, took her hand away from him, and reached up to cover his mark. He pouted.

"You… really didn't know?" she asked timidly, looking up at him. "About Ladybug?"

"When I gave you that?" he asked. She nodded. He shook his head and snorted. "If I had, I wouldn't have beaten myself up about it afterwards." _I also might not have stopped when I did…._

She thought about that for a moment. "Are you… disappointed?" she asked, biting her lip.

He blinked at her. Was she asking what he thought she was asking? "By you?" he asked.

"It's just… I know the masks add a bit of mystery," Marinette said. "And I…." She flushed a bit and looked away. He stared at her in disbelief. She still thought he wanted her just because she was Ladybug?

"Not a chance, Marinette," he said, firmly. "Look at me," he demanded. She did, startled by his tone. "I'm an idiot who fell in love with an unreachable goddess," he said, smiling. "And I knew, even then, that I couldn't get to her. Then I met this awesome girl, and we became friends. But I started to feel more for her too. More and more, until I couldn't stop myself around her anymore. I felt bad for feeling _anything_ , because I told myself I was already in love with someone else, but I couldn't help it." He laughed a bit. "And then, when the goddess let me go and rejected me, I hurt, but part of me felt relieved too. Because then I could be with this great girl without feeling guilty about it anymore.

"And _then_ ," he laughed again, reaching up to cup her face, "that girl went and _turned into_ the goddess! And suddenly, I couldn't talk to her. Couldn't tell her about me; couldn't even _think_ straight, my head was spinning so bad. I kept thinking there's gotta be a catch. That there's no way I'm this lucky. So, no, Marinette. I fell in love with you despite Ladybug, not because of her."

"Although," he added, letting her go to pretend to ponder, "you _being_ Ladybug is a definite bonus, because, damn girl, that spandex suit…" he whistled, channeling Nino. Marinette burst out laughing, tears rolling down her cheeks. He studied them with a frown.

"And that's what? The third time I've made you cry this past week?" he said.

"It's because you're not kissing me, you stupid cat," Marinette laughed, wiping her tears away.

 _Oh. Well, he could definitely fix that._

Her arms eagerly went around his neck as he sprang at her, claiming her mouth as they toppled back onto the bed. He clutched her close as her body cradled his, enjoying her warmth and softness beneath him as he moved over her, covering her face in kisses. She giggled and squirmed beneath him, only half-trying to avoid his playful pecks.

Then he felt her tense and shift, and could only suck in his breath when she rolled them back over so she was on top. _Second-in-command_ , she'd teased him once, and he was never so happy to follow her, humming in contentment as she straddled him and raked her hands through his hair again. He could already tell, this was going to be a weakness of his. And that she was going to exploit it mercilessly. _Not that he minded in the least_ , he thought as he pulled her head down and kissed her hungrily.

Her response was just as eager. He whimpered when she pulled away from him just enough to trail her own lines of kisses down to his neck. Then, all he could do was force himself to keep breathing as he felt a touch of cold wherever she left a kiss, directly contrasting with the heat of her mouth on his skin. And the pressure of her lips sent thrill after thrill down his spine, warming his whole body. He groaned when she paused to suck lightly on his pulse point.

"No marks, princess," he begged softly. "My father will kill me."

He felt, rather than heard her chuckle against his neck. "What, you meant the perfect _Adrien Agreste_ might be rebelling in a very cat-like way?" she murmured teasingly. He mewled and writhed when he felt her teeth scrape gently against his skin. To his relief (and disappointment) she pulled away to grin at him.

"Don't worry," she reassured him, "I'm too nice to make you wear a scarf in this heat. Can't have the _perfect model_ being all sweaty and uncomfortable, now can we?" He laughed as she kissed him on the mouth again. _I will happily be sweaty for you, my_ _lady_ , he thought impishly, _but it's less fun if it's just for appearances._

"You are too good to me," he said happily as she continued to give him little, light kisses that made him feel giddy inside. These were nothing like the hungry, desperate kisses Cat and Marinette had had before when he'd pushed her up against a wall in a fit of passion. And, while he'd enjoyed those too, they had seemed... almost dark at the time; a stolen moment that should've belonged to someone else. But these... these were sweet and warm, like the promise they'd made to each other. Friends. Always friends, no matter what, until the end. And the way some of them lingered hopefully, with just a bit of that fire from before... maybe more than friends? God, he could only hope they meant what he was thinking they did. That she wasn't just being guided by a rush of emotions, but wanting something more... permanent.

 _Can I really have this? Can I keep you?_ He wanted to keep her. Forever. However slowly they had to go to get there... he was willing to do it. But... A thought occurred to him. He needed to be sure.

"What about you, my lady?" he whispered through her kisses. She pulled back to look at him in surprise. He reached up and brushed back some strands of her hair that had gotten free from her pigtails. "Are you ashamed that your _perfect model_ is nothing more than a stupid alley cat?" She seemed to be enjoying herself, but he didn't want to assume anything anymore.

She choked, laughing helplessly on top of him.

"I have never been happier," she admitted, smiling. "I was already falling for that stupid alley cat, despite telling myself over and over how many things were wrong with that idea. And if you were just Adrien, I think I'd still be a stammering mess right now, trying to find a good reason to run out your door and then go beat myself up over it later. I certainly couldn't do anything like _this_ ," she said, running her thumb across his bottom lip. He smiled and nipped at it playfully. She giggled and flicked his nose.

"But _Cat_ ," she sighed and laid her head down on his chest. His arm came up automatically to hold her and he felt them both relax together. _Mine_ , he thought possessively. _Mine, all mine…._ "Cat makes me feel safe," she said softly. "Wanted."

 _Oh, you most definitely are,_ he thought, and pulled her tighter.

She laughed lightly as she squeezed him back. "I never really realized just how little I knew about you until we started yelling at each other. And now… there's a whole other side to you I that never even considered!" She looked up at him from where she lay on his chest. "It makes me want to learn more."

"I'm all yours," he murmured.

"Hmm," Marinette said speculatively. He bit his lip in anticipation, especially when she sat up to look down at him with a very sexy smirk. "Do you actually have the new extension pack for Ultimate Mecha Strike III, or did you just lure me here to seduce me?"

Adrien burst out laughing. "You wound me, princess!" he cried dramatically, miming a blow to the heart. "My intentions are pure!" He paused and grinned. "-ish."

"Pure-ish?" she said archly, raising an eyebrow.

"No, let me rephrase that," he said seriously, backtracking. "My _intentions_ have always been pure. My hopes, and dreams, and _very_ secret wishes…." He bit his lip and shrugged. "They're a little bit murkier," he admitted. Marinette shook with laughter.

"Why you dirty, dirty cat," she mock-scolded.

"But still fun!" he insisted, before she pulled away from him. Marinette shook her head, still smiling but refusing to look at him as she got up and turned her back to him in feigned anger. He grabbed her around the middle before she could get away completely and rested his chin on her shoulder. Mmm, he loved cuddling with her. "And yes, princess, I do have the game. You are fully-loaded to kick this poor cat's tail, as always."

She giggled. "Well, we'd best get started then, hmm?" she said sweetly, reaching up scratch behind his ears.

"Mmm, that's cheating, my lady," he purred, leaning into it. "Please don't stop."

"Nope," she said, removing her hand and standing up. "Can't have you saying I didn't win fairly. It'd ruin my reputation." He pouted, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Well, you _could_ give me a handicap," he suggested. "Since you're a champion and all…."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"How about you—" His voice cut off when she suddenly whirled around and leaned over to give him a long, firm kiss. He moved to deepen it, but she had already pulled away.

"For luck," she said, with a wink. And then she was gone, already walking towards his couch and TV. Adrien allowed himself a fist pump before he chased her.

"You know, I'm a black cat! I might need more good luck than that!"

"I already gave you my charm bracelet."

"Nope, I need more. Probably like, a kiss for each of my nine lives!"

"Not gonna happen, kitty."

"Well, then, how about the loser treats the winner to dinner afterwards?" he suggested. Marinette looked at him in surprise. He shrugged. "Apparently, I'm free tonight."

Her eyes softened. "Yeah, sure, I'd like that."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So, like a date?"

"Hmm," she said, her eyes getting a mischievous gleam in them that he wasn't sure he liked. "Sure. It can be our first date." He started to rejoice—

"But, you know what they say," she added in a sing-song voice, "'a lady doesn't kiss on the first date.'" Adrien's smile fell as she smirked at him. "So, I guess you're going without, kitty." He gaped at her, then hung his head, even as he shook with silent laughter. He'd been had.

"But it isn't really our _first_ date, per say," he protested, sliding over beside her on his couch as they started up their game. "We go out on the town together all the time."

"Not the same," Marinette sang.

"And what about all those other kisses?" he asked, pouting. "Are you saying they don't count or something?"

"Those," she said slowly, "were more like the prelude to the date. It _technically_ doesn't start until we go out to dinner." He raised an eyebrow at her slowly, licking his lips when she gave him an innocent smile.

"Dinner's gonna be late," he declared, pouncing.

* * *

End.

I'll let your imagination determine where they go from here.


End file.
